How to Clean Your Dentures

Dentures require just as much care and cleaning as natural teeth in order to promote gum health and to protect against plaque build-up. Use our cleaning guide below to keep your smile pearly-white and healthy. It is important to clean your dentures everyday to prevent a build up of dental plaque and stains, kill the bacteria that causes bad breath, and maintain the integrity of your dentures.

Before You Clean Your Dentures

As you’re preparing to clean your dentures, fill a sink with water or lay a towel down on your counter to ensure that your dentures do not break if they’re dropped. To remove your dentures more easily, you can swish warm water or mouthwash in your mouth before you take them out.

Avoid abrasive cleaning materials, products that have whitening agents or contain bleach, and hot water as these things could warp or damage your dentures. Do not use home made cleaning agents like salt, baking soda, and water with lemon juice. None of these home remedies kill the bacteria and lemon juice is acidic and could damage your dentures. It is best to use products specifically designed to clean your dentures

While You’re Cleaning

Treat your dentures as you would your teeth and brush them daily, with one difference: don’t use toothpaste! While this may seem contradictory, many types of commercial toothpaste are too harsh and can actually damage dentures. Instead, stick to a soft-bristle denture brush and water to clean all surfaces of your dentures

Specialized cleaners or a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar can be used to soak dentures, but remember that this is not a substitute for brushing. If you use a denture adhesive, make sure you brush that out as well. Take care not to use too much pressure as you don’t want to create grooves.

While your dentures are out, clean your mouth and gums to prevent infection. You can use gauze or a soft-bristled brush to gently clean your gums, tongue, and the roof of your mouth. If you use any denture adhesive gum, remove it with a toothbrush as well.

Other Cleaning Tips

Some types of dentures need to be soaked overnight in order to keep their shape. Make sure to check with your denturist about how to properly store your dentures. Remove your dentures every night to allow your gum tissue to rest. If you do use a soaking solution overnight, thoroughly rinse your dentures before putting them back in your mouth, as these solutions usually contain harsh chemicals that could cause vomiting or pain if ingested. Continue to schedule regular check-ups with your denturist to ensure that your dentures are still fitting correctly and to check your gum and mouth health.

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