Do you wear partial dentures? If you do, then you may have some experience—or already have established—a nightly cleaning routine. Cleaning partials each is night is essential to maintaining sound oral health. To remind her patients of the proper cleaning procedure, Dr. Vi Truong-Mai, your Garland, TX dentist, provides the following post.
Use These Instructions to Keep Your Partials Squeaky Clean
- Soak. Each night, take care to remove your partials for a soak in Polident or a similar denture cleaning tablet. This is important for a number of reasons. First, it allows your gums to take a break as you sleep. Overuse of partial dentures or full dentures can produce sores on the gum line.
Additionally, just like natural teeth, partials gather bacteria and food particles throughout the day that can produce bad breath, if they’re not cleaned. Plus, an unclean partial can lead to infections that affect your gums and teeth. - Brush. Before replacing the partials the next day, make sure to brush them off first. Using a soft-bristled denture brush offers the most effective results. While soaking does help remove many leftover particles and bacteria, brushing removes anything the soak may have missed.
Note: Avoid using toothpaste when completing this step. Dentures don’t have the same hardness that natural teeth do, therefore, toothpaste can scratch the surface. In fact, those scratches allow more bacteria to accumulate on your dentures. - Rinse. After brushing, your Garland, TX dentist recommends rinsing your partials. Also, take care to rinse the partials in a sink half-filled with water, in case you drop them—dentures, of any kind, tend to break easily. Lastly, discard any remaining soak water.
Get Outfitted for Partial Dentures Mai Cosmetic and Family Dentistry
For more information on caring for your partial dentures, talk to Dr. Mai. She can give you proper cleaning instructions to ensure your partials last for years. To schedule an appointment with our Garland, TX dental practice, call us at (972) 530-0552. Also, visit our website to view services, print patient forms, and to read more about our team. We look forward to treating patients from Garland, Richardson, Plano, Sachse, Rowlett, and surrounding cities.
