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Tips for Denture Freshness

Proper care of your dentures and your mouth is essential to keeping your breath fresh and your mouth healthy. If the thought of caring for dentures has you envisioning a set of teeth in a glass on the nightstand, rest assured. Just like today’s dentures aren’t your grandmother’s false teeth, today’s options for cleaning and caring for them go beyond a simple brush and soak. Support your smile with the following denture care tips:

Remove Them Nightly

No matter how well your dentures fit, they can rub against your delicate mouth tissues. Give your mouth a break for at least six to eight hours to give the tissues in your mouth time to recover.

Brush Your Dentures Daily

After you remove them, rinse your dentures and remove loose food particles before brushing them with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a gentle toothpaste, mild hand soap or dishwashing detergent. Avoid using whitening toothpastes or any bleaching agents, which can damage your dentures. You can also take your denture care high tech with an ultrasonic denture cleaner. These handy devices use high-frequency sound waves to create little bubbles that work with your cleaning solution to clean and freshen your dentures.

Keep Them Covered

Keeping your cleaned dentures covered — either in water or in a denture-soaking solution — is essential to preventing warping. Of course, if you’re in a pinch, you can use a glass of water. But you also have a host of cute and stylish denture boxes and cases to choose from.

Care for Your Mouth

While your dentures are out of your mouth, you have the perfect opportunity to brush any remaining natural teeth, your tongue and your gums with a soft-bristled toothbrush. This removes plaque and helps stimulate the circulation in your tissues while minimizing your risk of developing an infection. You can also rinse your mouth with warm salt water to keep your gums clean and healthy.

See Your Dentist

Your dentist will tell you how often you need a checkup, but it’s a good idea to stay on the six month schedule that most people follow. It’s essential for your dentist to make sure your dentures are fitting correctly and adjust the fit as necessary. It’s also an important way to keep your whole mouth healthy by discovering potential problems early on.

Whether you need a regular checkup or you want to learn more about getting dentures, Klement Family Dental is here to help. We’ve provided dental care to the Tampa metropolitan area for more than 35 years, and we offer a menu of services that ranges from regular checkups to cosmetic dentistry. Visit our website to learn more, or call us at 727-498-1959 to schedule an appointment.