Blog

Caring for Your Dentures

If you are new to wearing dentures, and have just received partial or full dentures from Leeds City Dentalcare, then you may be wondering about the best way to look after them. Proper denture care will help to prolong the life of your dentures and will help ensure your mouth remains clean and healthy. Tips for looking after them include:

• Making sure you handle them gently, as if you accidentally drop them they could break. It is best to handle them over a soft surface such as a towel, or over a bowl of water.
• Your dentures need cleaning thoroughly every day, and must be brushed to remove food and plaque. This will help keep them fresh and free from stains. You can buy special denture brushes that are particularly soft, and which won’t damage the surface of your denture. Normal toothbrushes and toothpaste are too harsh for use on dentures and could damage the acrylic, as could household cleaners. For an extra clean finish you may want to invest in an ultrasonic cleaner for use after brushing.
• Once you have finished cleaning your denture then rinse it in fresh water, and store it in a container with denture soaking solution or plain water. This will prevent it from warping as dentures need to be kept moist when not being worn. Don’t place them in hot water as this could warp the acrylic base.

Adjustments and Repairs

Brand new dentures often need slight adjustments soon after you begin wearing them, so it is likely that you will need to visit our Leeds surgery for a follow-up appointment shortly after receiving them. Please don’t try to adjust them yourself as you could end up weakening the denture, or even breaking it. If you do happen to break it then please contact us to get it repaired. We’ll get this done as quickly as possible for you so you shouldn’t be without it for very long. Please do not try to mend it yourself, as it is important to get it repaired properly. Household glues will damage the denture, and it can be surprisingly difficult to fit the pieces back together accurately if you do not have the proper equipment and materials. Any cracks or breaks in your denture do need to be repaired using the same acrylic material used for its construction.

Relining, Rebasing and Replacing Dentures

Over time the shape of your gums will change, especially if you wear full dentures or if you have a lower denture. The reason for this is that the bone in your jaw is gradually reabsorbed, so the bony ridge that supports and retains your denture will become flatter. One consequence of this is that your dentures may become more difficult to retain, and they may begin to move around, making eating and speaking increasingly difficult.

At this stage Dr David Brown may suggest you have your dentures rebased or relined. This is where a completely new denture base is fitted to your existing dentures, reusing the existing teeth. This process can help prolong the life of your denture, but you should be prepared for them to need replacing every three to six years. It is important to make sure your denture continues to fit well, not only for your comfort but also to help protect the bone in your jaw. If you wear a poorly fitting denture then your jawbone will reabsorb more quickly.

Stabilising Dentures with Implants

If you find dentures very difficult to wear then there may be an alternative solution. Dentures can be stabilised with as few as four dental implants, a process that is becoming increasingly popular. If you’d like to know more, then contact our dentist in Leeds City Dentalcare for a consultation, and to find out if you are suitable for implants.

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