Dentalnews (en)

There are dentures and there are non-dentures!

Everybody knows the typical glass of water on the night-stand with Granny’s dentures floating in it.

Thanks to dental implants, it is now possible to get fixed dentures, but not all implants are affordable right away, as fixed implants cost money – so what can you do while you’re saving up?

Don’t despair, a good-quality total denture can work very well – find out more on this topic in the dental video lexicon!

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Here are some tips and tricks on getting used to your dentures:

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The first few days

Don’t be alarmed it your dentures squeeze or itch the first couple of days. Your mucous membrane has to get used to them, just like your feet have to get used to the hot sand at the beach. Eat soft foods and read out loud out of a book, this will help your muscles to “comprehend” the dentures.

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Pressure points
If you develop pressure points from your dentures, you should immediately go see a dentist, who can then check if these are static or dynamic pressure points. If the pressure points are dynamic, you will need a new set of dentures. Find out more on this topic here!

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Cleaning dentures – proper care
Dentures are worn for 23 hours and cleaned for 1 … meaning: after eating you should rinse out your mouth, and your dentures, with clean water. Clean the dentures with soap in the evening. Do not use abrasives such as e.g. toothpaste. The surface of the dentures should remain smooth, it is much easier for bacteria to settle onto rough surfaces. Leaving the dentures to soak overnight is also bad for their surface.
You should scrub your gums and tongue in the evening using a washcloth. Your tongue usually rubs against your gums, removing old mucuous membrane, this is not the case with artificial gums.

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Did you know ?
With only 2 implants in your upper jaw you can do without artificial gums altogether  – ask your dentist or watch a video on this topic!

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The cost of dentures
Most insurance companies pay a part of the total cost, how much you have to pay yourself varies from country to country. Ask your dentist. Additional costs for ceramics, transparent gums or metal grids can now be avoided, as modern high-quality plastics makes these extras unnecessary.

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Plastic fillings can be used to seal fissures!

Our teeth consist of humps and indentations, which medical professionals refer to as fissures. Sometimes the form of these fissures is so unusual that they cannot be cleaned using a normal toothbrush. Find out more about this topic here.
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This usually leads to fissure cavities, but fissure sealing can help prevent this! Special white materials (plastic compounds) are used to seal fissures. A coffer dam should be used to get the best results.

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Plastic fillings should not be used for side teeth but these plastics are excellent for sealing fissures!

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Source: 2009_fissure sealing

Proper cleaning for dentures and can a dentist clean a denture?

Everybody knows the famous glass of water on their grandmother’s night-stand, but this is not the way to treat dentures! Not cleaning dentures properly can lead to infections and costly treatment!

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The best thing to do is use a soap or cleanser and a toothbrush. Anything which might roughen up the surface of the denture is unsuited for use.

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Should the soap and brush not help you reach the desired effect, then visit your dentist, who should be able to polish your dentures to a shine!

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Nowadays many dentures are made entirely of plastic, although usually dentures should have a metallic core.

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Plastic dentures tend to get discolorations, and they cannot be bleached. This type of denture not only turns out to be more costly, but it is also harder to clean, and the neighbouring teeth are put under more strain.