Cleaning Your Dentures

Why do you need to clean your denture?

We hear a lot from patients in our practice asking “Why do I need to clean my dentures, they are just fake teeth.” Dentures are made from a plastic, typically an acrylic resin. The resin still builds up a bacterial biofilm in your mouth that can cause an oral infection and affect your overall health. The bacteria that builds up on dentures is similar to the microorganisms that layer together on your teeth and gums to form a biofilm.

Although dentures are not made of the same structure as your natural teeth, your gum tissue and mouth can have infection from inside your mouth caused by a fungus or bacteria. There is evidence regarding proper denture cleaning and overall systemic health, such as acquiring pneumonia. One common infection is a fungus caused by Candida or also known commonly as thrush. Not cleaning a denture is associated with this specific infection, called Denture Stomatitis.

The denture resin is a porous material containing pores (microscopic voids).  Bacterial plaque/biofilm embeds in these pores and cannot be removed.  This leads to continuous exposure to bacteria which does not allow healing from denture stomatitis.  A new denture must be fabricated to remove the embedded bacteria if not kept clean properly.

This also means taking the denture out of your mouth at night and soaking the denture. The American Dental Association recommends placing a denture in water (or a denture cleanser solution) when it is not being worn can help the denture retain its shape, remain pliable and keep it from drying out.

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A Guide to Clean Dentures

Rinse After Meals: After eating, remove your dentures and rinse them under water to remove food particles.

Brush Gently: Use a soft-bristled toothbrush or a special denture brush to clean all surfaces of the dentures. Avoid using regular toothpaste or abrasives that can damage the dentures.

Use a Mild Soap or Denture Cleaner: Clean your dentures with a mild dish soap, or a cleaner  for dentures. Avoid harsh chemicals that can discolor the dentures.

Clean the Gum Area: While cleaning the dentures, brush your gums, tongue, and the roof of your mouth to remove the bacterial biofilm and food debris for improvement in oral health.

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With improving the cleaning of your denture you can minimize oral infections. The American College of Prosthodontics recommends that dentures be cleaned daily by soaking and brushing with non-abrasive denture cleaner to reduce the levels of biofilm and potential harmful bacteria and fungi in the mouth. Taking the effort and knowing how to care for your Denture and oral gum tissue is important for your overall health, maintaining a working denture, and prevention of infections.

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Resources

1. David Felton, DDS, MS∙ Lyndon Cooper, DDS, PhD, MS∙ Ibrahim Duqum, BDS, MS, Caryn Solie, RDH∙ David Avery, AAS, CDT∙ Nancy Deal Chandler, MA, RHIA, (2011, February) “Evidence-based guidelines for the care and maintenance of complete dentures.” American College of Prosthodontists
2. Eman Abuhajar, Kamran Ali, Gulraiz Zulfiqar, Khalifa Al Ansari, Hina Zafar Raja , Shaza Bishti, Lamyia Anweigi. (2023 Feb 9) “Management of Chronic Atrophic Candidiasis (Denture Stomatitis)-A Narrative Review”. Int J Environ Res Public Health
3. Services and Scientific Information, ADA Library & Archives. (2023, April) “Denture Care and Maintenance”. American Dental Association.