Removable dental prostheses
The primary characteristic trait of removable dental prostheses is that the patient can, and must, remove them by themselves and clean them. Getting used to a removable dental prosthesis can take various amounts of time. The adjustment period can be passed more easily through the use of the so-called Denture Fixatives, which are available in most pharmacies. To suppress the gag reflex, sucking on hard candy is recommended. This can also lessen the unpleasant sensation caused by increased salivation, which is a natural reaction of the body to the “foreign element” in the mouth.
How do I properly place and remove dentures?
You have to remember that a denture needs to be first moistened to be placed into the mouth. With upper dentures, bite down, swallow, and perform a few facial movements, and the try to remove the air between the mucous membrane and the denture. With lower dentures, press down with the tip of the tongue on the edges of the lower frontal teeth. To remove the denture dislodge it from its location by pulling down (in the case of upper dentures) or upwards (lower dentures) on the edge of the denture. The best way to dislodge a complete denture is to blow up your cheeks with your mouth closed, which creates an increase of pressure which will release the denture. In the case of dentures, which use additional devices to fix the denture in place, we recommend you to practice placement and removal under the dentist’s supervision.
How do I clean my denture?
It is necessary to rinse the oral cavity with warm water after each meal. Clean the denture with a stream of water at least once a day. Food remains and other impurities can be removed with the use of a soft toothbrush. If the surface of the denture gets scratched, it can easily accumulate dental plaque, which is why you should avoid hard toothbrushes. Special cleaning tablets, which are placed into the glass of water containing the denture, are also evinced. To clean the denture, only use preparations designed for this purpose. The denture should not come into contact with acids, bases, concentrated alcohol, hot water, emanating heat, and abrasive pastes and powders.
How do they affect eating?
Removable dental prostheses are sadly not as good as natural teeth. Be ready for the fact, that your biting strength will be a third of what it used to be, and your chewing technique will be completely different. The food should not be too hard or adhesive. Smaller sliced chunks of food are to be chewed slowly, carefully, and symmetrically on both sides of the denture. Be careful with hot meals and beverages. The artificial denture palate lowers your sensitivity and you could suffer from burns of your natural palate and oesophagus. It is also possible that you will not be able to sense the taste of the food in the beginning, due to the fact that your taste buds will be covered by the artificial denture palate.
