If you’ve just gotten dentures, you could easily think your smile is “in the clear.” Your new teeth won’t decay like natural ones, so you may assume they don’t need looking after. However, even restorations like dentures require care to work and stay safe. Certain habits could quickly make them break down and ruin your full and pretty grin. For further details, just let your Moses Lake dentist explain. Read on to learn four harmful habits to avoid with dentures.
Failing to Clean Dentures
While dentures don’t get cavities, that doesn’t mean you can give up on oral care. Failing to clean your restorations puts them at serious risk.
Remember, debris will gather on your dentures as you use them. Food particles and bacteria can stick to artificial teeth when they go uncleaned. So, a lack of brushing and flossing will make dry mouth, bad breath, and gum disease more likely. The best way to avoid that outcome is to clean your dentures daily so debris doesn’t linger.
Wearing Dentures to Bed
As lifelike as they can be, you shouldn’t wear dentures while you sleep at night. This habit would harm them and your oral health.
The problem is that dentures aren’t designed for 24/7 use. If you wear them overnight, you’ll likely grind your teeth and cause the devices to wear out faster. This nighttime use also deprives your gums of much-needed rest, making them sore and irritated. For these reasons, you should take your dentures out every night.
Nail-Biting with Dentures
It’s bad enough to bite your nails with natural teeth; doing so with dentures is even worse. If you indulge in this habit long enough, it could break your oral appliance(s).
To be clear, your dentures’ materials aren’t as strong as natural tooth enamel. They can easily chip and come apart if you bite your nails with them. If that happens, you’d have to spend more money to fix or replace your dentures. It’d be better to just stop biting your nails and protect your smile.
Skipping Checkups for Dentures
Whether you have partial or full dentures, your device isn’t an excuse to skip dental checkups. Not seeing your dentist enough can cause restorations to fail early and damage your mouth.
Don’t forget that dental checkups are the best form of preventive oral care. By attending them, a dentist can monitor your oral health and make sure your dentures stay unharmed. These visits also let the dental team reline or replace your oral appliance as needed.
Once you know these four harmful habits to avoid with dentures, steer clear of them. Your restored smile will then have a better chance of lasting a long time.
About the Practice
Moses Lake Family Dentistry is based in Moses Lake, WA. Led by Dr. Craig Harder, our practice offers every dental service a patient could need. We offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments, as well as emergency dentistry and orthodontics. Whether you’d like a dental checkup or dentures, our team is ready to help and transform your grin! For more details or to book a visit, please reach us on our website or by phone at (509)-765-4351.