What to use to soak dentures

Dentures are designed to allow the elderly to eat normally when their teeth fall out, but dentures are prone to gum infections, so we need to pay attention to cleaning the teeth every day. Dentures can be taken out for cleaning, and they must be replaced every five years. After being taken out, the dentures should be soaked, preferably in purified water. Using professional denture soaking solution can easily cause corrosion to the dentures.

Many elderly people believe that a set of dentures can be used for a lifetime. Dentures are divided into fixed dentures and removable dentures. Most elderly people use removable dentures, which are mostly made of polymer plastics, resins or porcelain. They will age and wear during use, so they have a service life. Generally speaking, the normal service life is about three to five years, while the lifespan of porcelain teeth is longer, about ten years. Many people feel that their dentures have no obvious wear and tear after five years of use, and there are no problems with the feel of use, so they continue to use them. Little do people know that the release of plastic monomers is invisible, and some problems such as wear and aging are difficult to discern with the naked eye. These released harmful substances may be absorbed by the body, causing many negative effects on the body, and in the most serious cases may induce oral cancer.

So how do you know if you need to replace your dentures? First of all, you must follow the principle of mandatory replacement every five years, and also have regular check-ups. Many people think, "Is it necessary to see a dentist if I have lost all my teeth?" This is the biggest misunderstanding in the use of dentures. Oral health is not only related to teeth, but also has a great relationship with the soft tissues in the mouth, such as gums and gums. The key to regular examinations is to detect whether the soft tissues in the mouth will change as early as possible. If changes occur, dentures will bring too much pressure to these tissues, leading to symptoms such as ulceration and inflammation, and will also cause healthy teeth to loosen and fall off; secondly, the lifespan of dentures is mostly three to five years, but it does not mean that you can sit back and relax during the service life, because dentures may wear out prematurely during normal use, and some wear is not easy to detect, and can only be seen through professional examinations. These minor wear may also cause pressure on the soft tissues in the mouth or bacterial residue, leading to various oral diseases, such as swelling, pain, ulcers, denture stomatitis and other diseases.

Tap water can also corrode dentures

When it comes to cleaning dentures, I believe most people know that they cannot be cleaned with toothpaste. The overwhelming advertisements tell us that the particles in toothpaste may scratch the dentures, causing bacterial residue and leading to various oral diseases.

It is true that dentures should not be cleaned with toothpaste. Real teeth are hard, dense, non-porous and physiologically self-cleaning. The abrasives contained in toothpaste are very necessary for cleaning real teeth, but dentures are made of resin materials with low hardness. They look very smooth, but the surface has many micropores and cracks that are invisible to the naked eye. The abrasives in toothpaste will enlarge the cracks in the dentures, making it easier for bacteria to adhere and increasing the risk of disease. Dentures should be cleaned with a special disinfectant cleaner, such as Polident, which is the most common product on the market in recent years. The tablets are easy to carry and store, and are also easy to use. Just dissolve them in clean water and use. In addition, it is best to use purified water for soaking, because tap water contains impurities or disinfectants, which may also cause corrosion to dentures.

Although soaking in professional denture cleaner can have a good disinfecting effect, you should never just soak it and leave it at that. The oral health of the elderly is generally poor. The thickness of the oral mucosa becomes thinner, drier, atrophied, and less elastic with age, and the salivary gland function declines, resulting in less viscous saliva. Food residues easily stick between the oral mucosa and dentures, and are not easy to self-clean. All of these are conducive to the proliferation of Candida albicans and invasion of the oral mucosa.

It is difficult to completely remove the adhesions on the dentures by soaking. It is best to rinse the teeth with clean water before soaking, and then use a soft-bristled brush to remove the dirt adhering to the dentures, and then soak and disinfect.

It is best to clean your dentures after each meal, and be sure to remove your dentures and soak them for disinfection before going to bed. This gives the oral tissue time to recover and relax. Before wearing it in the morning, gently brush it with a soft-bristled brush and rinse it with clean water for better hygiene.