Denture Care Instructions

Now you have a new set of dentures, it is important you follow the advice below about how to look after them...

Adaptation. For the first few weeks your new dentures may feel a little loose and bulky. Fortunately, this improves with time as the muscles your lips, cheeks and tongue adapt to your dentures. These muscles need to learn what they should and should not do. Inserting and removing your dentures will also require some practice. Occasionally, denture fixative is needed in order to keep the dentures more secure. This is uncommon, but it is important to know that this may be necessary.

Discomfort. You may experience some discomfort when first wearing your dentures, which may present as ‘sore spots’. If so, make a review appointment with your dentist who will ease these areas to improve the fit of your dentures. If your dentures are too uncomfortable to wear, you may wish to temporarily stop wearing them, but it is important you start wearing your dentures again two days before your review appointment, so your dentist can identify the areas that need adjusting.

Eating. Dentures are removable mechanical substitutes for missing teeth and as such will always exhibit a small amount of movement when in the mouth, especially when chewing food. Learning to chew satisfactorily with new dentures usually takes a few weeks. Start with soft foods and gradually progress onto more solid food. You may need to cut your food into small portions and chew using both sides of your mouth to prevent denture tipping. Avoid biting with your front teeth (like biting into an apple) as this may cause tipping at the back of the dentures.

Speaking. Your speech may be temporarily altered initially and pronouncing certain words will require some practice. However, your speech should be back to normal within a matter of days.

To speed up this process, try reading out loud, placing particular emphasis on those words you are having difficulty with.

Salivation. Initially, your dentures may cause you to produce more saliva than normal. This gradually reduces over time.

Cleaning. Daily cleaning of your denture is essential to prevent build-up of food debris, plaque and staining.

If allowed to build up, these can cause problems with appearance, mouth odour, gum irritation and infection.

1. Take your dentures out to clean them.

2. Dentures can break, so hold your dentures over a bowl of water or folded towel in case you accidentally drop them.

3. Use a soft toothbrush or denture brush to clean your denture, along with soap and water.

4. Brush all surfaces of your dentures (including the area that sits against your gums)

5. If your dentures have wire clips, be careful not to damage them.

6. Avoid using toothpaste or abrasive pastes, as these can scratch the denture, making it more prone to collect debris, plaque and stains.

7. Brush or rinse your dentures after every meal to prevent the build-up of debris.

8. If you smoke, or drink a lot of tea, coffee or red wine this may affect the colour of your dentures.

Soaking. You can use proprietary denture cleaning tablets or solutions for soaking, to help loosen and remove stains and deposits. However, you should avoid leaving the dentures in the solution overnight. A 10-minute soak once or twice a week should be sufficient. Some cleaning solutions are not suitable if your denture is made of metal or has a soft lining. If in doubt, consult the manufacturer’s instructions.

Removal. It is important you remove your dentures before going to bed. This allows your mouth and gums to rest and recover, promoting oral health. When not wearing your dentures, store them in a container of cold water. This will prevent them from drying out and becoming distorted.

You wouldn’t wear your shoes to bed, so you shouldn’t wear your dentures to bed either.

Whole Mouth Care. With partial dentures, you must take extra care of your remaining teeth and gums. Even with full dentures, you still need to take good care of your mouth. Brush your tongue, gums and roof of your mouth with a soft brush twice a day. This helps to remove plaque and improves the general health of your mouth. Have your mouth and dentures checked regularly by your dentist.

Replacement. Over time, dentures may need to be relined, rebased or remade due to normal wear. Minor issues may be able to be corrected by relining or rebasing your existing denture. If your denture becomes loose and/or the teeth show signs of significant wear, it may need replacing. Dentures become loose because the mouth naturally changes shape with age. Gums and the underlying bone can shrink, causing the dentures to become loose. It is important to replace worn or poorly-fitting dentures before they start causing problems.

Avoid. Do not use hot water or any type of bleaching product when cleaning or soaking your dentures, as this can lead to weakening, distortion and staining of your dentures.