Getting dentures brings with it the opportunity to restore a beautiful, even, and shining smile, and it can also restore your facial structure and improve your overall quality of life. Yet, getting dentures also comes with special care requirements designed to help keep your dentures in tip-top shape, prevent cracks and breaks, and help you maintain proper oral health and hygiene. With regard to oral health, dentures function in a similar way as natural teeth. Just like natural teeth, too much sugar consumed regularly can result in the development of decay and a myriad of other dental health problems and overall health issues.
The sugar itself doesn’t directly cause oral health problems, but the bacteria produced from the sugar create acids that dissolve away tooth enamel and cause tooth decay and other problems. For those with partial dentures, your partial dentures rely on your remaining natural teeth for stability and structure. If your natural teeth decay away, your partial denture will become useless. What’s more, a high sugar concentration in your diet can result in foul-smelling dentures, among other negative consequences. Don’t allow your teeth and dentures to suffer! Contact our dental office today to schedule an appointment and learn more about our dental services.
How To Care For Your Dentures & Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
For many patients, quality of life means having and eating what they enjoy, including sugary treats. While our dentists do not recommend sugary foods and beverages for your dental and overall health, if you must indulge, there are several ways you can help prevent the sugar you consume from harming your dentures and oral health. Here are several tips to help you properly care for your dentures and smile!
Skip Hard Or Sticky Treats
When eating sweet foods, we recommend soft treats, such as applesauce, cake, frozen yogurt, and other desserts appropriate for denture-wearers. These soft foods are not just easy to eat, but they are also gentle on your denture appliances. In contrast with soft foods, stay away from very hard or sticky candies and treats! These can be difficult to consume and will likely loosen the adhesion of your denture in your mouth.
Have Sweets At Mealtimes
If you have a hankering for something sweet and delicious and if you are able to eat sugary foods, you should try to enjoy these treats with a meal or shortly after mealtime. When you eat a full or complete meal, the saliva in your mouth increases its production. This excess saliva can help wash away leftover food, sugar, and treats left behind. This can also help prevent the sugar from becoming stuck in your dentures and teeth and around your gums. You should also drink a big glass of water while you eat your sweets to help get rid of any excess sugar.
Use Denture Cleaner
When sugars, whether naturally present or added, in foods and drinks interact with the bacteria that are naturally present in and produced by your mouth, plaque can form. Plaque can negatively affect your dentures and gums. Without proper cleaning, plaque can become calcified on your dentures. Using a denture cleanser can help reduce the accumulation and presence of plaque on your dentures and in your mouth. Use a high-quality, dentist-recommended denture cleaner every day to help keep your dentures and gums clean and free from plaque.