Dentures: Home Care & Usage Instructions
Denture, Partial-Denture Home Care Instructions
Take your prosthesis out for at least 6 hours a day to let the tissues recover. Removing at night before bed is a common option. Always store your prosthesis in liquid, such as water or a denture cleaning solution – never allow it to get dry (this causes the material to crack). Rinse any solution off before putting the prosthesis back in your mouth.
Keep your prosthesis clean. Gentle scrubbing with a soft-bristled toothbrush using warm water and regular soap (when needed) is desirable. Do not use toothpaste or other abrasive products, as this can alter the shape of the prosthesis over time. Clean at least once per day. Cleaning after meals is very helpful.
For partial dentures, remove them before flossing and brushing. Standard oral hygiene must be maintained for natural teeth to avoid cavities and periodontal disease.
For implant supported prostheses, implants must be flossed and brushed in the same manner as natural teeth to avoid periodontal disease. The standard 2x per day is desirable.
Eating with dentures or partial dentures can be difficult and take some getting used to. Start with soft, easy foods such as fish, eggs, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, etc.; chop more firm foods into pieces. Take small bites. Chewing with artificial teeth requires a change in the way you have known to bite. For artificial teeth, chew equal amounts of food on both sides of your mouth, desirably with back teeth. This will balance the prosthesis, reduce tipping, and lower the forces on your remaining natural teeth which may cause them to loosen in the bone. Complete dentures generate only about 25% of the force natural teeth can do, and the plastic will flex. Excessive forces can risk a fracture of the prosthesis.
- One of the most common complaints with dentures is the inability to chew steak, to bite apples, or incise sandwiches. Despite the enjoyment that comes with this ability, it is often impossible to achieve with dentures. This is because dentures stay in place with suction, and when pressing with any one side of a denture, it breaks the seal on the other side, causing the denture unseat. This is why equal amounts of food must be chewed on both sides – the pressure is equal and both sides of the denture pop up. When pressing into apples, corn, sandwiches, etcetera with front denture teeth, the back will pop down, and there is usually nothing that can solve this. You can try pressing your tongue on the top of your upper denture to hold the palatal aspect in place, and if this doesn’t work, it is a limitation inherent in all dentures.
Handle your dentures carefully. Fractures are difficult to repair. Avoid bending. For partial dentures, try to avoid putting excessive pressure on the clasps, as this could bend the metal.
Speaking may be challenging with a prosthesis and require some practice. Try rehearsing words, particularly with “s” or “f” sounds. It may surprise you to learn it can take up to 4-6 months for your muscles to learn how to speak, or chew, with a denture.
Without teeth, the jawbones will continue to remodel over time. Your prosthesis will need adjustments and relines periodically, which usually are needed less after year 10. Be sure to have a check-up once annually. Even without teeth, checkups are still required to assess the oral tissues which can develop conditions over time.
It is NORMAL for removable prostheses to develop sore spots and require adjustments, especially in the first several days after delivery. This is why dentists do a 24 hour check and a 1 week check. Should a sore spot develop, remove the prosthesis until one hour before your appointment, at which point you can put it back in place until the sore spot returns so it is more noticeable during adjustments.
For any looseness, adhesives can be used for additional retention.