Initial Sensations
- When you first begin to wear dentures, they may feel loose. Until you have learned to keep them in place with the muscles of your cheeks and tongue, they may tip when you chew, allowing food to liquids to pass under them
- No matter how thin the dentures are, they will feel bulky. They may make your tongue feel crowded or may cause a slight gagging sensation. Until your gum ridges are used to supporting dentures, your mouth may feel sore or irritated. Your saliva flow may also increase temporarily.
- After a few weeks, as your oral tissues become adjusted to wearing dentures, these problems should decrease. If you continue to experience irritation or excessive soreness in the area, you should contact our office.
First Day of Denture Wear
- New dentures may feel tight or cause soreness of the oral mucosa. The sore spots must be removed as soon as they appear. When you first notice any signs of discomfort, contact us at once. Remember to wear your denture at least three hours before your appointment so we can “see” where the sore spots are located in order to make necessary adjustments. Don’t try to repair your denture yourself. It can lead to more problems and costly repairs.
Appearance
- When you first get dentures, your facial expression may seem different. A more normal expression will return when the muscles of your cheeks and lips adapt to the dentures.
- Dentures may improve your appearance by changing the shape of your face and reducing facial creases. Denture teeth also will look straight, white, and healthy.
Eating
- When you are first learning to use your dentures, it is best to eat soft foods. Cut your food into small pieces and chew slowly on both sides with your back teeth to keep your dentures from tipping.
- After a few days, when the dentures feel more comfortable, gradually try coarser and harder foods until you are able to eat a more normal diet.
- Avoid eating sticky or very hard foods until you have more experience with wearing dentures. Learning to chew properly takes practice.
- Be cautious when eating. Remember that dentures now cover many of the surfaces of your mouth, so it will be more difficult for you to feel a burn from hot foods or a sharp bone.
Speaking
- Sometimes wearing dentures can make a difference in the way you pronounce certain words. To help overcome any speech difficulties, practice reading aloud.
- If the dentures’ teeth click together when you talk, speak more slowly. Bring any problems to our attention at your check-up visits.
- At first, you may find that your dentures become loose when you laugh, cough, or even smile. To reposition them, close your teeth together gently and swallow.
When to Wear Your Dentures
- Your dentures are intended to be both a cosmetic and functional replacement for your missing natural teeth, and should therefore be worn daily during waking hours.
- If the dentures are left out of your mouth for long periods of time, any sore spots in your mouth may swell, making it difficult to reinsert the dentures.
- Take your dentures out before going to bed at night, and put them in again in the morning. This gives your oral tissues a chance to rest and helps maintain oral health.
Caring for Your Mouth
- Even with dentures, you still need to take care of your mouth. Each day before inserting your dentures, brush your gums, tongue and palate with a soft-bristled brush, to remove plaque and stimulate circulation.
- Visit our office at least once per year for a complete oral examination (even if you no longer have any natural teeth!). Besides checking your dentures, we will check for signs of oral cancer, and examine the health of your gums, bone, tongue, cheeks, jaw joints, etc.
Caring for Your Dentures
- The resin that your complete or partial denture and retainers are made of are a biocompatible polymer that has microscopic pores that can collect oral bacteria. Dentures become easily contaminated in your mouth on a daily basis and continuous reintroduction of bacteria in your mouth by dentures may lead to microbial disease that can be a chronic cause of systemic disease. The microbiology of denture plaque has received little attention in comparison with dental plaque, yet it differs in location and composition. Denture plaque and poor denture hygiene is associated with oral infection (Candida [yeast] infection), may also serve as a reservoir of potentially infectious pathogens, and may contribute to oral malodour (bad smell). Oral bacteria have been implicated in bacterial endocarditis, aspiration pneumonia, gastrointestinal infection and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among others, and dentures offer a reservoir for microorganisms associated with these infections. An effective oral hygiene regimen is important to control denture plaque biofilm and contributes to the control of associated oral and systemic diseases. It is essential to take denture cleaning seriously so that dentures can be worn for many years safely and comfortably.
Denture Cleaning Procedure
- Clean your denture/partials thoroughly twice a day with a denture brush and a non-abrasive denture cleanser. Regular toothpaste is too abrasive for denture care. Dentures are fragile, so it is important to handle with care.
- Don’t use alcohol, abrasive cleaners, bleaches, whiteners – they may scratch the surface of the denture and harsh products like bleach will turn the pink parts of your denture white.
- Do not use boiling water, dishwasher or microwave to clean or soak your denture. Rinse your denture after every meal.
- Try to give the oral mucosa a break by leaving the denture our for 4-6 hours a day (usually during sleep). You can soak the dentures in a denture cleaning solution at night. The gum tissue needs to rest and allow normal stimulation and cleansing by the tongue and saliva.
- There are several denture cleaning tablets and solutions available, such as Polident and Efferdent. There are also less expensive generic denture cleaning products available from stores such as Walmart and Target, which work just as well as more expensive brand names. Read the instructions carefully before using these products.
- If dental cleaning solutions are not available, you can use mild hand wash soap, lukewarm water, and a denture brush to clean your denture
- Candida, a fungal infection, can develop in your mouth and the spore will survive in the pores of your denture. You can use a prescription strength mouth rise (Chlohexidine, Peridex, or Colsys) to rinse and soak your denture. Nystatin cream is also effective when applied on the inner side of the denture 1-2x daily for 10 days, however it has a bitter taste.
- Massaging your gums in the morning with a thumb, finger, or soft-bristled toothbrush stimulates blood flow and improves tissue health.
- If you are suffering from dry mouth, use Oral balance moisturizing gel from Biotene (www.biotene.com). It can be used to keep tissues moist and can be placed on the denture/partial to increase moisture of the gum tissue. Avoid scratching your dentures with abrasive toothpaste and aggressive brushing. Deep scratch lines can harbor plaque and bacteria which causes bad odors.
Cleaning Dentures with Soft Liners
If you wear a denture that uses a soft line, you have to take additional precautions to protect the soft liners. Soft liners are more porous than the hard-liner in dentures, and mostly considered to be a temporary procedure that may last between 4 weeks to up to a year depending on the choice of the materials used.
- Soak your denture in a denture cleaning product, but use only cool water for mixing. The high heat may damage the soft lining material.
- Soak denture in the cleaning solutions no longer than 30 minutes.
- During the first several days, use cotton balls to swab the liner. After this, you may try using a soft bristled brush.
- Hot food and heaving chewing is not recommended for the first day. Also, since the lining is soft, small materials like seeds may become embedding in the lining.
- Do not allow the lining to become dry. Keep your denture in water while it is out of your mouth.
Denture Adhesives
- We make every effort to ensure our patient’s satisfaction with the stability and retention of their new complete dentures.
- Ideally, dentures require little of no adhesive, but in reality, the stability and retention of most dentures is enhanced with the used of a small quantity of adhesive.
Guidelines for Use of Denture Adhesives
- Use the minimum necessary to provide the maximum benefit.
- Apply less than you than you think you need, and then gradually increase the amount until you feel comfortable.
- Distribute the adhesive evenly on the tissue-bearing surface of the denture.
- Apply or reapply when necessary to provide the desired effect.
- Always apply the adhesive to a thoroughly clean denture. (It is very important to clean all traces of the previously applied adhesive from the denture before adding more.)
Paste Adhesives
- Apply to a slightly wet denture
- Avoid placing adhesive close to the denture borders. If the adhesive oozes, use less of the product.
- For dentures on the upper jaw, apply three short strips of adhesive along the ridge area and one down the center
- For dentures on the lower jaw, apply three short strips of adhesive in the center of the ridge area
Powder Adhesives
- Sprinkle a thin, uniform layer throughout the tissue-bearing surface of the denture
- Shake off excess powder and press the denture into place
- Powders may be preferred over pastes because they are easier to clean off the denture and tissue
- In addition, they don’t have the same tendency as pastes do to “shim”
Strip Adhesives
- Strip adhesives, such as SeaBond, are another alternative for adhesion of dentures to tissue
- Typically, they come in oversized strips that will need to be trimmed with scissors to fit your individual denture size. You will trim these while the strip is dry, then follow instructions on how to wet and place the strip into the denture/
As Your Dentures Age
- You need to keep your regular periodic exam in order for us to examine your gum tissues for signs of disease. As you age, your mouth will continue to change as the bone under the denture shrinks or recedes and wears away. Loose dentures make it hard to eat and speak and do not support the face as well. Remember, a denture should be relined regularly so that it can function optimally.
Long-Term Denture Success
- Although your dentures will keep their shape, your mouth continues to change. The bone and gums that support your dentures can recede or shrink, causing your dentures to feel loose and less stable.
- Prolonged use of ill-fitting dentures can irritate the gums, tongue and cheeks and cause the ridges of the mouth to shrink. Constant irritation can also lead to open sores and serious infections.
- To prevent or correct these problems, you should visit our office regularly to determine what changes have taken place in your mouth and what should be done to correct the fit of your dentures
- Your success in wearing dentures depends on you. With a positive attitude, persistence, and regular professional care, you can become one of the millions of people who wear dentures successfully