Cleaning
No matter whether a patient has been provided with a partial or total prosthesis, extensive and careful dental care should never be neglected. A lack of oral hygiene can cause permanent damage to the periodontium and gums, as well as to the materials used to make the prosthesis. Some patients developed incompatibilities with the materials used due to inadequate denture care.
Gingivitis and/or periodontal disease can also develop. If the jawbone then recedes in the course of periodontosis, it can happen that a dental prosthesis with sufficient support can no longer be made. To minimize this risk, it is recommended to remove the denture from the mouth at least once, better twice a day, and to scrub it with a toothbrush and some toothpaste.
It is also necessary to use special cleaning tabs once a week to prevent unsightly deposits on the denture material. There is a wide range of cleaning options for dentures. The well-known cleaning tablets, which are dissolved in water, are very popular.
However, it is scientifically proven that they can attack and damage the acrylic. Furthermore, there are specially concentrated solutions of acetic or citric acid, which can dissolve deposits of the prosthesis as short insertion baths and clean it. The best way to clean the prosthesis on a daily basis is to use ultrasonic baths, which do not damage the prosthesis, but only clean it.
For this purpose there are special ultrasonic devices for home use with which glasses and jewelry can also be cleaned. You should keep your distance from baking powder as a cleaning option, because the coarse particles within the powder not only remove food residues and deposits such as tartar by scrubbing, but also gradually rub off the plastic. The plastic is strongly attacked and becomes thinner, making it unstable and more likely to break.
Food vinegar is not advisable as a denture cleaning agent because it is too highly concentrated and attacks the denture plastic, making it porous and more likely to break. However, there are special vinegar baths for cleaning dentures, which are dosed so low that they can be used. The prosthesis should only remain in the bath for 10 – 15 minutes to allow deposits to dissolve. It should then be rinsed thoroughly.