For years, dentures have been one of the most popular prosthetic devices around. These dental appliances are the go-to solution for many people who have missing teeth.
As a teeth replacement option, dentures can replace any missing tooth, regardless of whether it was lost to decay, gum disease, or dental injury.
Once you start wearing dentures, you will be able to enhance your abilities to speak and chew and improve your mouth’s function overall. Additionally, your dental prosthetics can support your facial features since they prevent the effects of missing teeth such as sagging cheeks and poor jaw function.
Dentures won’t give you a hard time when practicing your oral hygiene habits. Since they are removable, you can clean them thoroughly whenever you brush your teeth.
Once you get your dentures in Fort Lauderdale, you will have a beautiful smile again — one that can boost your self-confidence.
Maintaining Your Dentures the Right Way
Although dentures are not designed to last a lifetime, they can give you years of service. However, you have to know how to maintain them correctly.
Below are the seven most common mistakes you might make when caring for your dentures and why you should avoid them:
Not Cleaning Your Dentures Regularly
Your dentist will provide you detailed instructions on how to take care of your dentures on your final fitting. Forgetting or not following them is the first mistake you should avoid.
Soaking your dentures in a glass of water overnight and cleaning them once or twice a week are not the best maintenance practices. These habits can ruin your dentures and are bad for your oral hygiene.
This is because if you don’t clean your dentures regularly and properly, germs and bacteria can linger in your dentures. Over time, they can cause your prosthetics to become worn and smelly.
To maintain your dentures, clean them whenever you brush your teeth. Additionally, soak them overnight before going to bed.
Failing To Clean Your Dentures Properly
Taking care of your dentures also means using the right supplies. A hard-bristled toothbrush can scratch your dental prosthetics.
The wrong toothpaste may also have abrasive ingredients that can damage the surface of your dentures.
Lastly, soaking your dental appliance in hot water can cause warping and change their shape.
To take care of your dentures and natural teeth correctly, always use a soft-bristled toothbrush and brush them gently to avoid scratching them.
Also, use toothpaste that’s free of calcium carbonate, sodium metaphosphate, zirconium silicate, and other abrasive ingredients when brushing.
When soaking your dentures, put them in a glass with lukewarm water. Also, use specialized denture cleaners if they need a more thorough clean.
Not Removing Your Dentures Before Sleeping
Well-designed dentures feel like natural teeth. However, it doesn’t mean that you should never take them off.
Removing your dentures allows you to give your mouth a break and your gums and jawbones a chance to relax from the pressure of wearing them during the day.
Additionally, failing to remove your prosthetics before sleeping permits the bacteria to fester in the prosthetics, which can spread and cause problems for your teeth and gums.
Because of these reasons, you will do well to remove your dentures at night. Make it a habit to put them in a glass of lukewarm water before sleeping.
Putting On And Removing Your Dentures Incorrectly
Inserting and removing your dentures requires more than merely putting them in and pulling them out. One careless move can lead to broken supports and loose false teeth.
If you want to prolong the life of your dentures, learn how to insert and remove them correctly.
The correct way to remove upper dentures is to place your thumb against the top teeth and press upward to pull it out. For the lower part, rock the denture gently and pull it outwards to avoid breaking it.
Remember to avoid using any object except your fingers, but not your fingernails, to loosen your dentures.
Failing To Handle Your Dentures Carefully
Dentures are fragile. If you drop them accidentally while cleaning or reinserting them, they could crack or break.
As such, you have to learn how to handle your dentures properly. Treat them like glass if you don’t want to replace them prematurely.
Clean your dental prosthetics over a sink filled with water or a folded towel. Doing so helps you avoid any accidents.
Additionally, avoid letting your dentures dry out. Dry false teeth will warp and cause you problems.
Whenever you remove your prosthetics, even if you are not heading to bed, put them in a clean and safe container, and submerge them in water.
Consuming Too Much Teeth-Staining Food And Beverages
Drinking too much coffee, black tea, red wine, soda, and dark fruit juices not only stains your remaining natural teeth; they can discolor your false teeth as well.
Eating popsicles, beets, blueberries, and dishes with tomato and soy sauce frequently have the same effects, too.
If you want both your natural and artificial teeth to retain their white hue and sheen, avoid or minimize your consumption of teeth-staining food and beverages.
If you smoke or chew tobacco, you will also do well to stop these unhealthy habits since they can similarly discolor your natural and false teeth.
Not Seeing Your Dentist
Failing to go back to your dentist’s clinic after having your dentures fitted is another mistake that you have to avoid making once you have your prosthetics.
Make it a habit to see your dentist at least twice a year for your routine checkup. Doing so allows your specialist to check your overall dental health, detect any possible or developing problems, and provide the necessary treatment.
Moreover, your dentures may need an adjustment since your jaw and gums may shrink over time. When they start feeling loose, your dentist will need to refit them.
Lastly, make sure to visit your dentist if you break or chip your dentures or if they need to be refitted. Avoid going the DIY route since repairing and adjusting them requires special tools and expertise.
Dentures are not only recommended as teeth replacement options after getting a root canal treatment in Fort Lauderdale; they can be used for various reasons as well. Regardless of why you got them, prolong their condition and functionality by avoiding these maintenance mistakes.
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