If you have been considering getting dentures as a means of replacing missing teeth or teeth that need to be removed for one reason or another, you may be wondering if caring for the false teeth is something that is difficult to do. Some people are concerned that not only will this tooth replacement option not feel natural in the mouth but that the care required to keep them looking and feeling as good as possible is more work than they want to be committed to having to do each day.
Dentures Replacing Missing Teeth
The good news is that today’s dentures are a far cry from the fake-looking and often uncomfortable apparatuses that some of us may remember our grandparents wearing when we were younger. Today’s false teeth are more natural looking than ever before and also more comfortable to wear. Not only do they look great but today, people have more options when it comes to whether they want their new replacement teeth to be removable or to be permanently affixed in the mouth.
How you care for your dentures will depend primarily on whether they are removable or permanent. Removable models are what many of us think of when we think of dentures. You wear the span of false teeth by day and they are affixed in the mouth with a temporary adhesive and then at night, you remove them to properly clean and sanitize them. The process of caring for them is not much more than that.
With removable dentures, you’ll need to take care with what you eat when the teeth are in your mouth so that you don’t dislodge them at a time when you don’t want to. Some people can tolerate eating different foods with comfort and the confidence that they will not disturb the seal holding the teeth in place, but most dentists will suggest that you avoid biting into hard or sticky foods with dentures. This includes things like corn on the cob, a whole fresh apple or a caramel-covered one.
Other than watching what foods you bite into, you’ll also want to avoid excessive ingestion of food and/or drinks that can stain the surfaces of your dentures. Of course, these same culprits can stain natural teeth as well, but you are more likely to have a tough time getting the staining agents out of your replacement teeth than you are brightening up your natural enamel.
At night, you will remove the dentures to make sure you can clean them completely. This will involve brushing them with a mild cleaner (be careful because some regular toothpastes are too abrasive and will scratch the surface, so be sure to follow your dentist’s recommendations for an appropriate cleaner), as well as periodically soaking them to completely remove stains, bacteria and other odor-causing culprits that can stubbornly stick to the surface.
If, on the other hand, you have a set of dentures that is permanently attached to your mouth by means of one or more dental implants, you will handle caring for your teeth in a slightly different manner. You should still take care of what you bite into but your teeth will be more secure so you should have more confidence when eating what you want. You’ll also handle daily hygiene much in the same way as if your teeth were natural, brushing and flossing daily. Your dentist will also likely recommend a special flosser be used to get under the surface of the teeth, above the gums, to keep debris out and maintain gum health.
For more information about proper care of removable and permanent dentures, contact Park Dental Care in Queens at 718-274-1515.
