Dentures: Facts, Figures and Friendly Advice for Seniors

How to Take Good Care of Your Dentures

5 October 2018

Herman Kim

Dentures that fit the mouth correctly cause neither pain nor discomfort. It makes you look natural as if you had healthy teeth. However, most Australians face a lot of difficulties with their dentures when they don't fit well anymore. This is partly because of installing low-quality dentures or practising poor maintenance.

The primary cause of teeth rupture is a poor fit. As you use your teeth to bite and chew food, you exert pressure on the material, which in turn, causes microfractures. If the upper and lower dentures don't fit correctly, they exert pressure on one side of the mouth, which may cause severe damage or cracks to the dentures.

A fracture is also another common problem with the dentures. It usually occurs when the denture falls. Such a significant impact can easily break the area around the gum line or even the teeth themselves. Other parts of the dentures that are prone to damage are the metal clasps; you are not supposed to use them once they are broken. The good news, however, is that dentures can be repaired because they are mostly made of metallic materials.

How to care for your set of dentures

Remove and wash your set of dentures once you are done eating. Rinse the dentures with clean water to remove food particles. Be careful when handling your dentures. Do not damage the metal clasps and the plastics where you clean.

Once finish rinsing your dentures, clean your mouth. Use a soft brush and rub it against the roof of your mouth, cheeks, and tongue. Lastly, visit your dental clinic on a regular basis. Your teeth specialist will make sure the dentures are in great shape and do not cause any pain. Always make sure the inside of your mouth is healthy.

The denture repair process

You must repair a broken denture; you can either realign int not revitalise it. Often, the gums and bones change gradually and eventually shrink. At this point, you must reset the dentures. Most of the time, people don't realise this, or they do it when it is too late. However, if the problem is diagnosed early enough, your dentist can repair it and improve the fit. The process is called basing or denture relining, and it takes only a few minutes if the damage is not massive. Irrespective of what the dentures need, your dentist must evaluate the entire to determine if the set will be repaired or not.

For more information on denture repairs and maintenance, contact your local dentist. 

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