Dentures can beautifully restore a smile after tooth loss, and they don’t usually come cheap. Since they involve a significant investment of time, effort, and finances, it only makes sense that you’d want to make sure that they work properly and stay gorgeous for as long as possible. Here’s a brief list of a few bad habits that should be avoided to keep your dentures in great shape for years to come.
Bad Habit #1: Neglecting Oral Hygiene
It can be hard to get into practicing excellent oral hygiene until you get used to how good it makes your mouth feel. While it might be tempting to think that you’re absolved from cleaning your teeth when you don’t have any real ones left, nothing could be further from the truth. Neglecting to clean your dentures every day can lead to the accumulation of bacteria that can cause bad breath and nasty oral infections. A few habits to practice every day include:
- Brushing: Use a soft-bristled denture brush and an approved denture cleanser to carefully remove plaque and food debris from your appliance. It’s best to do this at least twice a day, though most dentists recommend doing it after each meal.
- Flossing: It’s important to floss between the teeth of your dentures as well as your real teeth at least once daily, as this will eliminate plaque from the tight places where a brush cannot reach.
- Antibacterial mouthwash: This concoction can eliminate more than 99% of harmful oral bacteria when used as directed.
Bad Habit #2: Abusing Your Dentures
Just like natural teeth, dentures are only intended for chewing and smiling. Unfortunately, many people have a bad habit of using their teeth to open packages or bottles. Others chew on non-food items such as pencils, paperclips, or ice out of nervousness or boredom. Some people even grind their teeth as a stress response. All of these can damage real and artificial teeth, meaning that these habits should be broken as soon as possible. If you grind your teeth involuntarily in your sleep, take care to wear a mouthguard to bed.
Bad Habit #3: Skipping Dental Visits
Even if you have lost all of your natural teeth, it’s still crucial to see your dentist at least twice a year. This way, a trained professional can monitor your soft tissues for signs of issues like infections and cancer while also giving you valuable advice for better oral hygiene. If needed, they can also make adjustments to your dentures to help them fit better.
If you take good care of your dentures, they’ll take good care of you. With excellent maintenance, a pair of dentures can last for ten years or more.
About the Author
Saginaw Dental is proud to offer the finest dental health services available in Saginaw, TX. Led by Dr. Rupeshwar Renkuntla, the staff delivers compassionate care and courteous customer service to each patient. Areas of expertise include general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry as well as denture services. If you’re a denture patient in need a dental checkup, contact his office online or dial (817) 989-2832.