{"id":5004,"date":"2022-12-20T11:37:17","date_gmt":"2022-12-20T11:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dentulu.com\/blog\/?p=5004"},"modified":"2025-11-28T09:04:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T09:04:18","slug":"take-great-care-of-your-dentures-and-they-will-take-great-care-of-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dentulu.com\/blog\/take-great-care-of-your-dentures-and-they-will-take-great-care-of-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Take great care of your dentures and they will take great care of you!"},"content":{"rendered":"

CLINICAL RESEARCH CONSISTENTLY FINDS THAT\u00a0DENTURE-WEARERS ARE AT A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF DEVELOPING ORAL INFECTIONS, AND THAT\u00a0THE\u00a0MAJORITY\u00a0WILL BECOME INFECTED OVER TIME.<\/h4>\n

Candida Albicans,\u00a0Streptococcus,\u00a0Staphylococcus and Actinomyces\u00a0frequently\u00a0colonize on dentures, and are the leading causes of Oral Thrush, Stomatitis and Pneumonia. The problem is so prevalent that millions of people are infected in just the US alone. Most of these people have been suffering from chronic low-grade infections for so long that they don\u2019t even know they are sick. The symptoms\u2014redness, discomfort, white tongue and loss of taste\u2014become normal.<\/p>\n

Sources: Oral candidiasis: An overview. J Oral\u00a0<\/a>Maxillofac<\/a>\u00a0Pathol<\/a>. \u00a02014; 18(<\/a>Suppl<\/a>\u00a01):S81-5 (ISSN: 0973-029X) Singh A;\u00a0<\/a>Verma<\/a>\u00a0R;\u00a0<\/a>Murari<\/a>\u00a0A; Agrawal A<\/a><\/p>\n

DENTURES AND INFECTION<\/h4>\n

Advanced\u00a0age, medication, illness\u00a0and\u00a0certain\u00a0habits\u00a0can make people significantly more\u00a0prone to oral infections. Many people continue to use their dentures well beyond the recommended replacement time, and do not know how to properly clean them. Medications can exacerbate the issue by disrupting the normal oral flora and\/or causing dry mouth.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, these infections are often left untreated because when denture-wearers have a problem, they go to a drugstore, not a\u00a0dental professional. That\u2019s why it is important for dental professionals\u00a0to educate patients about the hygiene risks associated with\u00a0dentures. Even though the number of denture-wearers\u00a0keeps growing, there is still not much\u00a0accessible\u00a0information\u00a0for people\u00a0about proper denture and gum hygiene.As a dentist and the CEO of Geriatric House Call<\/a> Geriatric Dentistry,I\u2019ve seen this\u00a0throughout my career.<\/p>\n

COMMON DENTURE PROBLEMS AND CAUSES<\/h4>\n

One of the most common problems is that many patients don\u2019t know that most toothpastes are far too abrasive for cleaning your \u00a0complete\u00a0and\u00a0partial dentures.\u00a0Regular toothpaste and\u00a0the old-fashioned denture-brush\u00a0can\u00a0damage\u00a0dentulu\u00a0and actually make them less clean. Though the scratches are microscopic, there will be a visible difference in shine, finish, and color. Even worse,\u00a0the\u00a0denture\u00a0is like\u00a0a biological sponge,\u00a0and without proper cleaning,\u00a0it can\u00a0become the perfect breeding ground for\u00a0dangerous\u00a0pathogens.<\/p>\n

Proper cleaning of the denture and the gums is essential for oral health. The ADA recently dedicated a special section of its newsletter to\u00a0recommend\u00a0that \u201cthe mouth cavity, tongue and the jaws should be well cleaned to remove all plaques, before putting on the clean denture\u201d in an article titled \u201cVital Information about Types of Dentures and Their Care\u201d.<\/p>\n