Denture Solutions Many patients require assistance when they first wear dentures and even experienced denture wearers occasionally welcome advice on changes that take place over time. The following questions are those I am most frequently asked at the practice. If you have any further questions that you would like answered, please let me know. How do I clean my dentures? Dentures, like natural teeth, must be kept clean or else they become unhygienic. If the denture replaces only a few teeth, then this is even more important as the remaining natural teeth must not be damaged by poor care of the denture. Fortunately, the materials that the denture is constructed from today are very resilient to picking up unwanted staining and debris. We would normally recommend that the dentures be brushed using a soft normal toothbrush and denture toothpaste, which is specially formulated to care for the materials. All of the denture surfaces should be brushed i.e. the artificial teeth, the fitting surfaces and the body of the denture. If you have natural teeth alongside the denture, then further instruction may be recommended from one of our hygiene specialists in the practice, known as a dental hygienist. Many patients are in the habit of using a denture-cleansing tablet a few times a week. We would be happy for you to carry on using this procedure, however, in most cases, we would not encourage soaking the dentures over night, especially if the denture is made from one of the many metal based materials that are used in their construction. Simply soak the denture for a maximum of 10 minutes Can I have white teeth on my denture? The simple answer is yes! Patients can choose from a wide range of artificial denture teeth, which in this day and age are more realistic in look than ever before, achieving a very natural appearance. We can therefore offer both enhanced white teeth, as well as natural shades to complement skin tone and the degree of natural wear. During the construction of the denture, we will be discussing in great detail the shape, style and colours of the new teeth on your denture. To help in this task, we can even use your earlier photographs, which can be enhanced with computer technology, to reveal the details of your original natural teeth. This often gives us an indication as to the style of tooth appearance, which most naturally suits you. Ultimately, the decisions will be yours. We will, of course help to guide you into these important decisions using our many years of experience. Should I wear my dentures at night? The decision whether to advise a patient to wear a denture overnight has always been a source of controversy between dentists! How then can we advise our patients? There are many factors which need to be taken into account to come to a decision. These especially include whether the mouth shows any signs of ill health due to previous prolonged denture wear. Some patients suffer from a form of oral thrush, known as candida. This is a clinical finding which a dentist will be able to make at an examination, but rarely causes soreness or discomfort to the patient. It is therefore common for the patient to be unaware of the problem. In the case of candidal infection, adequate treatment can be given. However, for the sake of the health of the mouth, it is often advisable to sleep without the dentures at night. Similarly, if the dentures are very loose, they should also be kept out for safety reasons. One of the most common reasons for a patient to wear dentures overnight is one of habit, as the patient has worn them all their lives, and to sleep without them would cause sleep difficulties. In this instance, if the mouth was deemed healthy, then the dentures can be worn safely overnight. Certainly, most patients seem to prefer the benefits of wearing the dentures overnight if there are no detrimental effects. Why are lower dentures sometimes looser than upper dentures? Dentures are held in the mouth by a combination of suction and the adaptation of the patient to the dentures. This is aided by an adequate amount of saliva acting as a lubricant between the denture and the gum, which supports it. A formula can be described where the forces that hold the dentures in, verses the forces that try to remove them or disturb them, control the looseness of the denture. In the upper denture, the shape and form of the mouth will generally allow for a strong suction so that the denture stays in place very well. In the lower jaw however, the anatomy of the region is not so favourable. Many muscles surround the lower denture, especially the lips and cheeks on the outside of the denture and the very movable tongue on the inner aspect. These try to destabilize the lower denture to a greater extent than the upper, where the tissue forces from the muscles here are more favourable. Thus, during function, when the lower muscles are very active, the denture is often disturbed resulting in movement. Using specialized techniques in denture impressions, the shape and form of the mouth can be accurately recorded, resulting in a denture being made as stable as possible. How long will a denture normally last? This will depend on the current situation found in the mouth and often relates to the length of time that dentures have been previously worn. To determine the shrinkage of the denture bearing areas that will support the dentures; any sharp or undulating surface that the denture must rest upon and the strength and orientation of the biting pattern that exists in the denture must be considered. A complete set of upper and lower dentures will continue to function adequately for approximately eight years. During this time we would recommend annual visits to the practice for reassessment, monitoring and adjustment, so that optimal conditions exist to continue the success of the denture. In the case of a removable partial denture, this time frame is similar, although a more regular examination, say, each six months would appear to be sufficient for many patients.