Maybe you have dentures and think that cleaning your mouth is less important now.
Well that’s not true, you must maintain your oral health even after your last natural tooth is gone. Dentures need cleaning and periodontitis, also more commonly known as gum disease, is still relevant to you.
Why you should still worry about gum disease even with dentures
We have put together reasons in this blog to how and why you should take care of your mouth and dentures to prevent oral health issues.
It doesn’t matter whether you have fake teeth or not, bacteria will still attack your gums, with the chance that your gums might become inflamed and painful.
This can cause your gums to bleed and hurt when you brush them, or…
Make your dentures uncomfortable and painful to wear, even to the point of being practically impossible to wear because of pain.
Causes of gum disease:
The bacteria in our mouth is the reason gum disease forms, most notably from plaque build ups that turn into tartar found on your teeth, which includes dentures. If you are not cleaning your mouth, teeth or dentures properly, this can lead to gum infections or worse.
Once plaque has built up to form tartar, professional cleaning by a dentist is required for removal.
Reasons you don’t want gum disease:
Painful or uncomfortable:
The bacteria that causes gum disease can lead to painful and inflamed gums, making dentures uncomfortable or unbearable. Other than being painful, infected gums can just be uncomfortable when they don’t feel healthy.
Bad breath:
No one wants a bad breath and the bacteria from plaque and gum disease forms toxins that can lead to a bad smelling breath.
Other health issues:
The bacteria from gum disease if left untreated, can eventually find its way into the bloodstream which can increase the chances of other issues such as heart disease and risk of strokes.
How do you stop gum disease?
Simply by cleaning your mouth every day, by following these four simple steps to have a healthy mouth:
- Brush your dentures twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
- Flossing your dentures to remove trapped food debris.
- After removing your dentures, brush your gums, cheeks, tongue and the roof of your mouth with a soft bristled toothbrush.
- Visiting the dentist regularly.
Dentures need proper cleaning daily, just like real teeth, so that you can maintain a healthy mouth and prevent inflammation and unhealthy oral hygiene.
Further cleaning tips to keep clean dentures and a healthy mouth:
- Dentures should be rinsed with cold water after eating.
- Handle dentures with care always (dropping them may be expensive!).
- Remove your dentures and clean your mouth.
- Brush and floss your dentures to remove all plaque and food debris.
- Remove dentures overnight and soak (not designed to wear 24/7 or to dry out).
- Rinse dentures thoroughly before putting them back in.
- Have regular dental checkups.
- If your dentures cause pain or do not fit, schedule an appointment.
- DO NOT use hot water, bleaching products or abrasive cleaning materials.
Having dentures is important as they provide support and allow you to eat properly, while allowing you to speak and laugh comfortably. At Dentures at Clayfield we offer both partial dentures and full dentures.
To find out more information on dentures, please contact our friendly team here.
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