How to Take Care of Your Dentures

Dentures are removable appliances that can replace missing teeth and help restore your smile. If you've lost all of your natural teeth, whether from gum disease, tooth decay or injury, replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. Taking proper care of dentures is very important for the long lasting use. Dentures are to cared for hygiene as they remain in mouth for long time and if not cared properly can cause lot of problems for the denture user. Here are the tips how to take care of your dentures.

• Brush Your Dentures Regularly: Just like natural teeth, you must brush your dentures. Avoid using toothpaste for cleaning dentures as toothpaste  is abrasive and creates microscopic scratches where food and plaque can build up. USe the soft brush that is designed for cleaning dentures specifically.

• Soak Your Dentures in soaking solution or in water: When not worn, dentures should be placed in a denture cleanser soaking solution or in water. Dentures need to be kept moist to avoid dry out or lose their shape.

• Handle Your Dentures with Care: Since dentures are fragile, handle it carefully. When cleaning dentures hold between your thumb and forefinger over a sink filled with water (or a bowl of water) and place a towel in the sink to act as a cushion in case the denture should drop. This way if the denture slips out of your hand, it will land in the water/towel and not break.

• Never Attempt to Repair Your Dentures Yourself : "Do-it-yourself" repair kits can permanently damage your dentures and over-the-counter glues may contain harmful chemicals. Never bend any part of the clasp or metal attachments yourself; doing so can weaken the metal structure. Be sure to visit your dentist if your denture breaks, cracks, chips or if one of the teeth becomes loose.

• Often Visit  Your Dentist : Having dentures does not mean that you can ignore your oral health and hygiene. Regular preventive care can lengthen the life of your dentures. Oral health is essential to general overall health. If you have dentures, talk to your dentist about scheduling regular preventive care. Your dentist will guide you  in maintaining your oral health and minimize the risk of oral health problems.