No matter what kind of dentures you wear, removing them regularly allows the gums and other tissues supporting the dentures a chance to rest, recover, and acquire antibacterial effects from saliva. It is healthiest to remove your dentures for at least five to six hours every day. At what time should you remove them? The recommendation used to be always to remove dentures at night.

Other concerns also exist. When worn continuously, especially at night when salivary flow naturally decreases, dentures can result in a condition known as denture stomatitis. Tissues under dentures may become inflamed. This condition usually occurs under upper full dentures that cover the palate, which become reddened, swollen, and infected with yeast. An infection of the mouth usually accompanies this by yeast, called angular cheilitis, characterized by cracks at the corners. To treat denture stomatitis, dentures are left out at night and cleaned diligently. If you have a yeast infection, your dentist can prescribe you chlorhexidine prescription rinses and/or anti-yeast or anti-fungal medications.

Steps To Denture Care
Denture-wearers should maintain good oral hygiene by following these steps:

• Dentures should be rinsed after eating.
• Use a soft toothbrush, nailbrush, or denture brush to clean your dentures at least once a day and use dish soap, liquid antibacterial soap, or denture cleanser to remove any debris. If you use toothpaste, it will abrade the dentures.) An effervescent (fizzing) tablet can’t replace this type of manual cleaning, and it might be necessary to remove some of the plaque.
• Keep your dentures moist or, better yet, use a solution based on alkaline peroxide.
• Your gums and tongue should be brushed every day using an extra-soft toothbrush (not your dentures’ toothbrush) or cleaned with a damp washcloth.
• Be sure to rinse your dentures before replacing them in the mouth.

You still need to keep your mouth healthy even if you no longer have your natural teeth. Keeping your dentures on all the time will prevent you from maintaining good oral hygiene, thereby compromising your health.

Schedule your appointment with a dentist today and get the treatment on time!