Maintaining your dentures
Some people do not realise the commitment that comes with getting dentures. Dentures require a significant amount of care in order to ensure a pleasant, simple and problem free experience with dentures.
Adequate care is essential as not doing so will result in complications such as bacterial growth and dentures changing shape. Your dentist will be able to give you specific advice however there are some tips and guidelines that you should follow when wearing dentures.
Cleaning your dentures
Dentures should be treated like teeth when it comes to looking after them. They should be kept as clean as possible to prevent the development of infections, inflamed gums and further tooth loss. Cleaning them twice a day and whenever you feel that your dentures need an extra clean after a meal is a sensible idea. For detailed information on how to keep your dentures clean you should have a look online for further advice.
How to clean dentures
A routine of brushing, soaking and brushing again is the most common way that people clean their dentures.
If you start cleaning your dentures to remove any debris then you will make it easier to clean them properly. Make an effort to remove any stubborn stains from dentures at this point.
Then, you should soak your dentures in a bowl of water with a denture cleaner. This may come in a tablet form and will help ensure that stubborn stains do are removed. Read the manufacture’s instructions on the box of the denture cleaner as these will give you detailed instructions on how to use your dentures.
After this you should brush again, being careful not to press to hard as this can cause grooves to develop on the surface.
What brush to use
The brush you prefer to use does not really matter. As long as the brush enables you to reach all areas on your dentures so that all plaque and bacteria are removed. Using a small or medium-headed brush is the best way to ensure that you can reach all areas of dentures. A nail brush can also be used if you prefer.
Cleaning metal dentures
Metal dentures can be cleaned in the same way that acrylic dentures however extra care may need to be taken. Some commercial cleaners can damage metal dentures.
Denture Repair
Sometimes when dentures are not properly maintained then they can break or become fractured. If this occurs, then you won’t necessary need to get new dentures, although depending on what exactly happened it may be a cheaper option.
If the damage is not too serious then you may be able to repair your dentures yourself.
Fixing your dentures at home
If the damage is minor, then it is possible to fix your dentures at home. There are many inexpensive repair kits for dentures available for home use such as this one: Denture Repair Kit
Extra care should be taken not to further damage your dentures when repairing them. If you are not confident about repairing dentures yourself then you should pay the extra money to get them repaired as if you break them more then the repair can be very costly.
Taking your dentures to the dentist for denture repair
Inserts can be used to strengthen dentures. This kind of work usually requires expertise so it is better that you take your dentures to your dentist as they probably be able to do it more efficiently then you can at home.
Most denture repairs are quick and can take place while you wait. This tends to be the case for dentures that have minor damages.
Sometimes you may need an emergency dental repair – there are many dentists that offer this service.
However, for dentures that require more significant work to be undertaken your dentist may need more time to fix your dentures and you may need to wait several days.
The cost of getting your dentures repairs ultimately depends on how serious the damage is. Is the damage is very serious then more parts will need to be ordered to fix the dentures.
If your dentures are broken it may be the case that it repairing dentures is not worth it. Sometimes, getting a new set of dentures is a cheaper solution. Not only this, but sometimes getting a new set of dentures can be a more comfortable solution as wearing braces with many inserts can be very uncomfortable.
