Denture Cleanings
Denture Maintenance
Did you know your mouth changes over time? Regular denture exams allow us to make sure you’re staying healthy and order adjustments as necessary. The American College of Prosthodontics recommends that ‘patients who wear dentures should be checked annually by the dentist, prosthodontist or dental professional for maintenance of optimum denture fit and function, for evaluation for oral lesions and bone loss and for assessment of oral health status.
The importance of at-home denture cleaning
Aside from regular denture exams and professional cleanings, it’s important to ensure you are properly cleaning your dentures at home. Make sure you are soaking your dentures and brushing them each day with a nonabrasive denture cleanser. This can help prevent both caries and periodontal disease.
Your oral health can be compromised through poor denture hygiene
- If you aren’t properly cleaning your dentures regularly, bacteria will begin to grow and can infect remaining teeth and oral surfaces.
- Poor denture hygiene can also cause increased plaque accumulation, which can result in caries and/or periodontitis.
88% of denture wearers don’t effectively clean their dentures.
Up to 67% of those who wear full dentures have denture stomatitis.
Denture stomatitis is associated with a yeast infection and causes the area underneath the denture to become very red.
If stomatitis is not treated, it can cause soreness of the mouth and can also lead to poorly fitted dentures in the future.
In addition to daily denture care at home, patients need regular professional contact to ensure that their oral health is maintained.
Denture wearers should have three follow-up visits during the first year of denture use to reveal the frequency of follow-up needed thereafter.
Denture wearers should maintain their regular dental visits with 6–12-monthly check-ups. These regular check-ups can detect the presence of early caries or periodontal diseases.
