Denture Care

Review and Check-ups

For all new denture wearers, it is fairly common to experience some of the following problems in the first few weeks and months of getting used to your new appliance.

It is for this reason we always book you a review appointment for a week after your last fit appointment. This allows us to correct any of these problems which are normally very small. Some of these problems may be:

Small sore spots.
Different sensation when eating.
You produce more saliva than normal.
Food tastes different.
Speech may for a time sound different.
Altered facial expressions.
Lower denture feels loose.

Many of the problems will go away after only a few weeks, as your muscles and tongue get used to your new dentures. If the sore spots persist and become painful, remove your new denture and let your gums recover. Make sure you put the dentures back in 24 hours before coming to your review appointment so we can check where the problem lies.

If you notice any other problems, it is sometimes good to write these down and bring them with you to your review appointments.

The Importance of a Clean Denture

Dentures MUST be removed and cleaned at least twice a day, preferably after each meal, and removed overnight to prevent excessive bacteria and plaque build up, bad breath and gum disease. We have listed below a step by step guide on how to do this.

Wash your denture in a sink filled with cold water or over a towel, as if the denture is dropped into the sink it may break! Make sure you remove all the visible food debris.

Use a soft nylon tooth brush and brush the denture
with a denture paste or soap, then rinse with running cold water.

DO NOT use a nylon tooth brush on a flexible denture or soft lineras this will end up damaging the fitting surface

For a deeper clean we recommend soaking your dentures in a sonic denture cleaner with a denture cleaning tablet. Then leaving them to soak in plain tap water overnight. Please read all denture cleaner instructions before use.

Valplast Flexible Dentures & Soft Lined Acrylic Dentures CLEANING ONLY

For Valplast flexible dentures or a soft lined acrylic denture a nylon toothbrush will burn the surface of the denture, so a soft silicone brush should be used in its place. The denture should then be placed into a sonic cleaning bath for 5 minutes with Val-Clean and left to soak in water overnight.

Never clean your dentures with:

Hot Water: This will change the dimension of the denture and turn it white.
Domestic Bleach: This will remove the colour from the denture and cause a gum reaction.

Some Practical Tips

Always visit your Clinical Dental Technician or Dentist at least once a year, even if you wear full dentures. It is important that we check the fit of your current dentures on a yearly base, and ensure they are not causing any permanent damage to your gums and bone. We will also do an oral check to ensure, there are no visual cancerous lesions or other problems that are best diagnosed early.
Take care with very hot and cold foods as the dentures will act as an insulation layer. You may not realise how hot or cold food or drink is before you swallow!
Try and avoid biting using your front teeth, instead take small bites using the canines and chew slowly and evenly on each side.
Have patience! It will take some time for your muscles to adapt and get used to the new dentures.