Complete Denture

Complete Denture Care Instructions

Wearing dentures will help restore your confidence, smile and eating habits that have been lost due to missing teeth, so taking good care of your dentures is very important. The following is a simple guideline for denture care that will assist you to better understand and use dentures properly so they would last a long time functioning properly.

  1. Dentures take time to get used to, especially the first few months. Sore spots are not uncommon in the first month or so. A 24 hour recall appointment is scheduled at your convenience after you receive your dentures to eliminate any sore spots that might develop during wearing/eating.
  2. Always keep your dentures clean and free from food and heavy stains. This can be achieved by washing it using running water, soap and a denture brush daily. Remember to rinse off dentures well from soap residue before wearing again. Polident Denture Cleanser also works well.
  3. Always remove dentures from your mouth before going to bed and place it in a dry plastic cup. Plugging the sink and filling it with water helps prevent dentures from breaking if it falls in the sink while removing from your mouth.
  4. Do not soak your denture in bleach or any other detergent solution; it tends to make dentures weak and prone to fracture.
  5. Never put your denture in boiling water; dentures are heat sensitive and might not fit properly.
  6. Avoid placing your denture in a napkin or towel; it could be easily discarded, lost or dropped accidentally.
  7. If your mouth always feels dry and your dentures are not holding in place properly
    as they should, try GC or Biotene Dry Mouth Relief Moisturizing Gel before attempting to use any type of denture adhesive/reline material. A bottle of water in hand at all times would also do just as well.
  8. If denture adhesive is needed for the upper or lower denture, use Zinc free products such as PolyGrip, Sea.Bond or Effergrip (Use as recommended by manufacturer in the diagram). If the denture isn’t holding securely after using the adhesive as recommended by the manufacturer, please call us to set up an appointment, you might need some adjustments, a denture reline or a denture rebase.
  9. Dentures should be cleaned on a daily basis from any denture adhesive residue. (Cushion Grip is the only exception because it is a reline material not an adhesive that should be replaced every 4 days. Cushion grip is difficult to use. Consult your dentist if using Cushion Grip has any advantage over other brands)
  10. Avoid dropping your dentures, the acrylic resin is light, delicate and can break easily. If your denture breaks, do not attempt to fix it yourself, call our office to setup an appointment for a repair.
  11. Denture relines are usually needed 6-12 months after teeth extractions and/or 5 years after wearing well-fitting dentures.
  12. Visit your dentist annually to check on your dentures and gums.