After waiting for several weeks and a few fittings, you finally receive your new dentures! They’re beautiful and fit really well, and you love that you now have a complete smile again. In your excitement, you don’t ever want to take them out!
However, you will need to remove them. In fact, they should be out of your mouth for between six and eight hours per day. Usually patients take them out right before bed, put them in a glass or cup of water, and put them back in the next morning. But why is this time important? Here are three reasons you must take this step every day.
Gums Need a Little Bit of Rest
Although dentures these days are much more comfortable than in years past, they still can put pressure on the gums and jawbone. When you eat particularly tough foods, it can even cause discomfort after a while. Especially over time, as your jawbone changes, the plastic can press against the arch.
After a full day of contact from chewing and biting, your gums could use a break. Taking your dentures out at night allows your gums to recover and get ready for the next day.
Dentures Need Moisture
Another important reason you need to take your dentures out at night is that your mouth makes less saliva at night. The plastic your prosthetic teeth are made of is tough, but it is meant to stay moisturized. Drying your dentures out can accelerate the wear and tear and make it necessary to replace your dentures sooner than you otherwise would.
With a warm, dry environment, oral bacteria can produce more rapidly, often causing “morning breath” as well as gum disease. By taking out your dentures and soaking them in water or with a cleanser, you reduce their exposure to potentially harmful bacteria.
Dentures Need to Be Cleaned
Although you can and should gently brush your dentures after meals throughout the day, it’s easy to miss certain areas, such as the very back molars or near the gum line. Putting your dentures in a glass or cup of water with a cleanser tablet keeps them extra fresh and protected from inflammation-causing plaque.
Taking out your dentures may not be fun or comfortable, but at some point, whether it’s at night or during the day, they need to spend some time out of your mouth for at least six to eight hours to give your mouth a break, keep your dentures moist, and clean them so they stay in excellent condition.
About the Practice
For patients throughout the Lincoln area, Williamsburg Dental provides a location nearby with six offices. In addition to preventive care, we offer more advanced services like dentures and implant dentures. In fact, we can place implants in-house. If you need to replace missing teeth, you can schedule an appointment by calling one of our locations or visit us online.