Denture Cleaning: How to Clean Dentures Properly, Every Day

After eating, take the denture out and rinse it under running water to remove loose food. Do this over a basin filled with water or a folded towel, because dentures chip or crack if they fall on a hard floor.

Once a day, brush every surface with a soft denture brush or a soft toothbrush, using a gentle denture cleaner or mild soap. Include the part that touches the gum and any clasps. Rinse well afterwards.

At night, take it out and soak it. Leaving the denture out gives the gums a rest, and keeping it moist stops the acrylic drying and warping. Use plain water or a denture-cleaning tablet dissolved as directed on the pack, then rinse before wearing it again.

Brush your gums, tongue and palate with a soft brush each morning before the denture goes in. This removes plaque and stimulates the tissue, and it lowers the risk of the fungal infection called denture stomatitis, which shows as red, sore gum under the denture.

If you have a partial denture, brush the natural teeth it clasps onto with fluoride toothpaste carefully, since those teeth decay more easily. Rinsing the mouth after meals helps too.

Regular toothpaste is too abrasive for acrylic. It scratches the surface, and scratches hold plaque and stains. Hot or boiling water can warp the denture, so use cool or lukewarm water only.

Do not use household bleach, harsh scouring products or hard brushes unless your dentist has said so. Do not soak a denture with metal parts in cleaners that are not made for it, because some corrode metal clasps. Do not try to adjust or repair a denture yourself, and do not use super glue.

Tea, coffee, tobacco and turmeric can stain dentures. Daily cleaning prevents most of it. Hard tartar on a denture will not brush off. It needs professional removal, usually quickly and at a modest cost.

Adhesive is for the odd occasion, and a denture that needs more of it every month is a denture that no longer fits, not one that needs more glue. Clean off old adhesive from the denture and the gums each day.

Have the denture and your mouth checked at least yearly. Sooner if it is loose, rubs or hurts, the gum is red or sore, or a sore spot does not heal within about two weeks, since persistent mouth sores should be looked at.

A reline every two to four years at ₹1,500 to ₹6,000 in Lucknow is normal because the bone changes under it. See the dentures cost page for what a reline or remake costs, and types of dentures for how care differs by type. If your denture keeps moving, implant-supported dentures are worth asking about, and full mouth rehabilitation covers larger plans.