You’ve probably gone through some ups and downs with your dentures over the years. Whether you absolutely love them or have come to hate how they slip and fall when you least expect it your dentures are part of your life every day. You put them on in the morning and take them off at night, they are the smile you show to the world, and they’ll be with you for years!
At Anderson Dental Care we’ve created a lot of dentures both partial and full. We’re proud of the work we do and the snug fitting dentures we’ve provided for countless patients. We’re always willing to go the extra mile to make adjustments and changes to your dentures in Cincinnati, OH so they continue to serve you well for years to come!
There’s something you need to do to help your dentures be a healthy part of your life too: keep them clean! You might be surprised to hear that your dentures could be making you sick!
What Causes Denture Diseases?
It’s a fact of life that your mouth contains bacteria. That doesn’t change when you lose teeth either! If you wear dentures they are probably covered in just as much bacteria as your natural teeth, if not more! That’s where problems come in: a lot of patients aren’t good about keeping their dentures as clean as they should. Unclean dentures can be a serious source of risk for your long-term health, especially as you age!
The bacteria on your dentures comes in a variety of strains, each with potential problems. You may have had inflammation of the gums due to your dentures – that’s caused by particular kind of bacteria. The ones that we’re concerned about today pose much more serious risks to your health: respiratory infections!
Wearing dentures that aren’t properly cleaned can lead to pneumonia and MRSA, a difficult to cure staph infection in the chest! Over 65 percent of dentures sampled contained traces of these bacteria, and all it takes is inhaling a bit from your mouth to start a serious illness!
Keeping Your Dentures Clean
Are dentures safe? To prevent illnesses like pneumonia and MRSA cleaning dentures are a must! If you’re doing all you can to keep your dentures clean you might already be taking care of most this list. If not we encourage you to adopt the following steps to keeping a clean, healthy mouth!
- Always rinse your dentures after eating. This helps clean off residual food particles and accumulated plaque that contains dangerous bacteria. It can also keep your breath smelling fresher!
- Take the time to clean your mouth and gums as well. If you don’t have access to a toothbrush or mouthwash you can still remove some bacteria by rinsing your mouth out with water.
- When brushing your mouth make sure to use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Get all the surfaces of your gums and make sure to brush the roof of your mouth as well. Since it’s covered by your dentures all day it can accumulate bacteria!
- It’s important to thoroughly clean your dentures once a day. Scrub them down with a specially-made denture brush and denture toothpaste. Soak them to remove excess food particles and leave them to soak overnight as well! Be careful – never use denture cleaner on the inside of your mouth! It’s far too strong!
- If you do soak your dentures at night be sure to thoroughly rinse them before putting them in! Denture cleaner and soak is great for your dentures but not so good for you!
- Never sleep with your dentures in! This is a great way to catch the illnesses we listed above if you snore!
- Dentures that don’t fit right are a great target for bacteria. Make sure you’re visiting our Cincinnati dentist office regularly for adjustments and maintenance!
Taking good care of your dentures at home is an essential part of keeping them clean and keeping you healthy! But just because you may not have any more natural teeth doesn’t mean you can avoid visits to the dentist! When you come to Anderson Dental Care for a visit we’ll have a chance to check up on your dentures and also your gums and mouth. Dentures might not be vulnerable to infection or disease but that doesn’t mean your gums are!
Take Care Of You And Your Dentures!
We’re experts when it comes to denture care, so let us help make your denture-wearing experience the best it can be! You can call our Cincinnati dentist office at (513) 817-0834 to get answers to your questions or to make an appointment. If you would prefer to make an appointment now you can fill out our online form! We look forward to seeing you soon!