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Dental Implants: A Guide for Seniors

If you are a senior considering dental implants, you may have to worry about issues other dental patients don't have to think about. For example, you may need more time to recover after receiving your implants. My name is Jodi, and I've been working with seniors for years. I decided to create this blog to help the seniors I can't meet in person. In this space, I'm going to post entries on everything related to dental implants and seniors. From tips on flossing implants after arthritis has claimed some of your dexterity, to guiding you through the implants-vs-dentures debate, this blog is designed for you. Thanks for reading. I hope you find what you need!

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Dental Implants: A Guide for Seniors

New to Wearing Dentures? Denture Cleaning and Care

by Jimmy Carter

Dentures require a different care routine than the one used for natural teeth. If you are new to wearing dentures you may be unsure of the best way to care for them. Below we look at the steps needed to keep your dentures clean while maintaining your oral health.

Prepare

Dentures are not as resilient as natural teeth and can be easily chipped or broken. You should place a folded towel in the bottom of the sink and fill it with a little water. This will help to protect your dentures if you drop them during cleaning.

Taking Out Dentures

If you use dental adhesive to hold your dentures in place, you may sometimes experience difficulty removing them. If you do experience difficulty, you should wash warm water around your mouth, and repeat as many times as needed. This will help to loosen the dentures. Once you have removed the dentures, you should take care to ensure you remove any remaining adhesive. To do this, drop your dentures in ice cold water. This will harden the adhesive, making it easy to pluck off.

Remove Debris 

When you brush your dentures, do not use commercial toothpaste as these can cause damage to your dentures. You should instead use just warm water when brushing. You should then prepare a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar and let your dentures soak for overnight for between 20 and 30 minutes. This will remove any build up of plaque, tartar and stains.

Disinfect Your Dentures

While brushing your dentures will help to keep them clean, it will not deal with any build up of bacteria. You should disinfect your dentures on a daily basis, using a solution of 1 part household bleach diluted with 10 parts water. You should soak the dentures for 3 - 10 minutes. Longer soaks can cause discolouration of the gum part of the denture.

Care For Your Mouth

When wearing dentures it can be easy to forget about your own oral health. You should brush your gums twice a day with a soft toothbrush to help to stimulate them and to remove debris. You should also wash your mouth using salt water twice a day, in the morning before you put your dentures in and in the evening after you have taken them out.

If you experience any issues with your new dentures you should contact a dental professional (like those at Sydney Denture Clinic) who will be able to offer further advice.

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