As you might know, dentures are tooth prosthetics that replace missing teeth. They thus represent one of the ways dentists can restore your smile! That said, they don’t function exactly like natural teeth. In particular, you shouldn’t just brush dentures while they’re in your mouth. Rather, you should take them out first to clean them more effectively. If you want to know more, let your local dental practice help. Read on to learn why cleaning dentures in Windermere involves more than in-mouth brushing.
Don’t (Just) Brush Dentures in Your Mouth
Technically, you can brush your dentures while they’re in your mouth. The process wouldn’t hurt your false teeth, so long as you used a soft-bristled toothbrush and good toothpaste. There’s even a good chance you’d remove some plaque or food debris.
Unfortunately, though, dentures don’t get really clean this way. After all, a toothbrush won’t get all the hard-to-reach places obscured by your mouth. Therefore, you’d need to remove your dentures if you wanted to clean them thoroughly. Otherwise, unchecked bacteria buildup would cause bad breath, gum disease, or worse.
The next time you brush your dentures, then, make sure to take them out first. From there, you can use a soft-bristled toothbrush with a special cleaning paste for false teeth. That way, you’ll clean off all the food debris and plaque.
Other Denture Cleaning Tips
Besides taking them out of your mouth first, other things will also improve your denture cleaning. Consider the tips below:
- Protect Your Dentures During the Cleaning: Clean the prosthetics over a basin half-filled with water or while leaning over a soft towel. Doing so will ensure the dentures don’t break in case you drop them.
- Clean the Rest of Your Mouth Too: Remember to brush your gums, tongue, and palate every morning and evening. When your whole mouth is clean and fresh, there’ll be fewer bacteria on your dentures.
- Use Vinegar for Tartar: If your dentures suffer from tartar buildup, you can soak them in vinegar water to remove the gunk. Just make sure to dilute the mixture first — it should be one-part vinegar to four parts water.
- Give Your Dentures Nightly Soaks: Before bed each night, remove your dentures and place them in a glass of water or denture solution. This habit will keep them clean and moist.
Today’s dentures may be lifelike, but don’t just brush them while they’re in your mouth. Use the tips above to ensure they work well for many years.
About the Practice
Windermere Dentistry is based in Windermere, FL. As led by Drs. Matthew McKissock and Rupal Thakkar, our practice performs personalized dental care that’s a cut above. To that end, we offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, not to mention emergency procedures. Furthermore, you can trust these services thanks to our advanced dental technology. For more information or to book an appointment, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (407)-909-1099.
