What To Do About “Denture Breath”
Do you wear dentures and have bad breath? If your bad breath persists even after using mouthwash and cleaning your gums regularly, the problem may be with the dentures themselves. Well, not so much with the dentures, but with bacteria accumulating on those dentures.
In the same way that bacteria can accumulate on teeth if you don’t keep them clean, bacteria can accumulate on your dentures, too. Dentures near you aren’t prone to tooth decay or cavities like natural teeth, but those bacteria can cause one other problem — “denture breath.”
Your acrylic dentures may appear smooth as glass to the naked eye, but they’re actually very porous. Bacteria don’t just land and accumulate on the surface of dentures in Flagstaff, but in those pores as well. Brushing and quickly rinsing your dentures might remove some of the bacteria on the surface of your dentures, but they won’t be enough to remove the bacteria in the dentures’ pores. As those bacteria break down food particles in your mouth, they will produce a bad smell that will taint your breath and dentures alike. If you don’t believe that your dentures themselves have gotten smelly, place them in a sealed ziploc bag for a while, then open up the bag and take a whiff. See?
What can you do to get rid of that smell?!
Here are three steps for minimizing or eliminating the stench of your dentures and its effect on the freshness of your breath.
Soak your dentures overnight
One of the very worst things you can do for the smell of your dentures and the health of your gums is to wear your dentures all night long. Instead, take your dentures out of your mouth before you go to sleep and place them in a cup containing a denture cleaning solution. There are lots of cleaning products out there, but ask the staff at your dental clinic in Flagstaff for a recommended product. The right product will kill up to 99.99% of the bacteria to help keep denture breath at bay.
But don’t stop there! Before you go to bed after putting the dentures in their cleaner, brush your gums and tongue gently but thoroughly with toothpaste before going to bed. That’ll help to eliminate bacteria in your mouth that was trapped between your dentures and gums.
Brush your dentures properly
Before you put your dentures in your mouth at the start of the day, brush your gums and tongue again and brush your dentures with a soft-bristled toothbrush or a specialized denture brush and cleaning solution. That’ll help to eliminate any particles and substances left lingering in your mouth after having soaked overnight.
Stay hydrated during the day
When your mouth is dry, there just isn’t enough saliva present to rinse away bacteria on all the surfaces of your mouth — tongue, gums, teeth, cheeks and dentures alike — that can contribute to bad breath and malodorous dentures. There are lots of reasons that you might have low levels of saliva, including medications you’re taking, whether you smoke and just how old you are. To keep your saliva levels high and your bacteria levels low, drink lots of water daily. Health experts tout the benefits of the “8×8” rule — eight eight-ounce glasses of water every day. To all the benefits of drinking water throughout the day, dentists add: “Fresher breath and dentures!”
If you’re concerned about the smell of your dentures or any issue affecting them — how they fit, if they feel loose, or if you’re experiencing any sores or pain — make an appointment with a dentist near you. A dentist in Flagstaff will inspect your dentures and gums before recommending any necessary steps to improve your health, comfort and breath.