Watch out for Fido
Let’s start with what might seem like a silly tip: Keep your dentures in Wetaskiwin away from your dog. We don’t understand exactly what dogs think about dentures, but they sure seem to love chewing them up. Help your dog to avoid the temptation to chew your replacement teeth by keeping them out of reach and in a safe location. Trust us: If your dog gets to your dentures near you, they’ll be no good to you at all.
They’re easier to lose than you think
How not to lose your dentures. In addition to developing a good routine to store your dentures (to keep them safe from your dog and just to know where to find them when you need them), it’s important to handle them consistently on a day-to-day basis to avoid losing them. When you’re at home, place them in the same storage container in the same safe location every night. When traveling, use a travel case that a dentist near you will provide.
Take good care not to drop and break them
You’ll shortly read how important it is to rinse and clean your dentures near you, but it’s equally important to be prepared to rinse and clean your dentures to avoid causing them any damage. Your dentures are sturdy but, at the same time, can be broken if dropped onto something hard. You may be surprised just how often that dentures are damaged from being dropped into an empty sink or onto a hard-tiled bathroom floor while being cleaned or rinsed with slippery hands. To minimize the risk of damage, wash and rinse your dentures over a sink filled with water or lined with a towel… just in case.
Rinse after eating
Every time that you eat, rinse your dentures. Eating enables food particles, bacteria, sugars and starches to cling to and accumulate on, around and even beneath your dentures. The longer that those food particles, bacteria, sugars, and starches remain on your dentures and gums, the more likely that they’ll contribute to gum disease and perhaps even stain or produce odors on your dentures themselves. To eliminate or minimize those risks, take a few moments to rinse your dentures after you eat. If you’re eating away from home and don’t feel comfortable doing so at a friend’s home or restaurant, be sure to do so as soon as you get home — over a sink filled with water or lined with a towel.
Keep your dentures moist
Don’t let your dentures get dried out. If your dentures become dry, the material from which they are made can warp to the extent that they won’t fit or function properly. It’s important not to let your dentures dry out. Whenever they are not in your mouth or you’re not rinsing or cleaning them, keep them moist by placing them in a dedicated container containing enough water to cover your dentures.
Use lukewarm water, not hot water
Speaking of keeping your dentures moist and clean, avoid using hot water. Water that is too hot can soften the material from which your dentures are made slightly. As the material softens, the shape of your dentures can change. Even if your dentures will fit properly after that, they may not perform properly and may cause painful sores and abrasions on your tender gums. Don’t skip the cleaning, rinsing, and soaking steps described in this article, but use lukewarm water instead of hot water.
Use cleaning products specifically for dentures
When cleaning your dentures twice daily, don’t improvise. Use the right products. Your dentist in Wetaskiwin can recommend or even provide the perfect product for cleaning your specific dentures. Don’t just use whatever brushes and products you may have on hand, but use a soft toothbrush and toothpaste formulated specifically for dentures. Too firm of a toothbrush will roughen the surface of your dentures and make them more vulnerable to being stained. If you have flexible partial dentures, don’t use a standard toothbrush. Instead, ask your dentist to recommend specialized cleaning agents and a sonic toothbrush that will preserve the sheen and texture of your flexible partial dentures.