English 
Spanish Moving from loose to stabilized dentures can make an incredible difference in your quality of life. Instead of struggling with a prosthetic that slides around your mouth all day, you can enjoy a stable smile that is built to last! But just because you’ve restored your smile doesn’t mean that you don’t still need to take care of it. Implant dentures need the same level of care as your natural smile. At Brent Bradford, DDS, we help you keep your oral health on track with implant denture maintenance.
How To Care for Your Stabilized Dentures
With natural teeth, you need to brush daily and floss regularly to keep them healthy. But with false teeth, do you really need to brush them? After all, false teeth can’t get infected or decay over time.
The reality is, your new teeth may be immune to infection or decay, but your gums are not. Even with dentures in place, your gum tissue needs routine care to protect your oral health. The longevity of your dentures also depends on quality dental care, making it even more important to take good care of your smile after dentures.
Caring for Removable Implant Dentures
Removable stabilized dentures attach to dental implants, but can be removed at any time. In general, we recommend patients remove their dentures every night to give their gums a rest from the constant pressure dentures create.
However, you must also remove these dentures after eating. When you chew with dentures, even if they have dental implant support, small food particles still sneak underneath your prosthetic. If left there, the food will accumulate bacteria, causing bad breath and even risking infection.
After eating, we recommend removing your implant denture and rinsing the prosthetic with water. Additionally, we recommend brushing your gums and around your implants twice a day, just like you would with natural teeth. Using a soft-bristled (preferably electric) toothbrush, simply clean your gums and brush around your implants. Then, be sure to floss around your implants and clear any debris from your gums.
Finally, attend routine dental visits at our office for maintenance! Every 6 months, we recommend patients come in for cleanings where we will remove your denture and make sure your oral health is on the right track. If we notice any signs of infection, we’ll be able to treat them right away before they become a bigger issue.
Caring for Fixed Implant Dentures
Fixed implant dentures work a little differently than removable implant dentures because you can’t remove your prosthesis on your own. Instead, you need to treat your false teeth like a natural smile.
Caring for stabilized dentures that can’t be removed also includes brushing and flossing, but the process isn’t as simple as it may be for removable implant dentures. Because you can’t take out your prosthetic, you need to be extra careful when flossing underneath it.
This is where a water flosser becomes essential to your care. A water flosser is a machine that shoots a gentle stream of water to replace traditional dental floss. With this tool, you can clean around your smile and under your denture, removing food and bacteria without removing the prosthetic.
Finally, you’ll need to come into our office for routine denture maintenance. Like a removable stabilized denture, this step is a necessary part of the process. But unlike a removable implant denture, these appointments are the only time you can take out your denture.
As professionals, we have the tools to safely remove a fixed denture when necessary. These appointments let us assess both your gum tissue and the denture, helping keep your smile healthy and in good condition.
Keep Your Stabilized Dentures in Good Condition!
Once you have stable dentures, it may feel like your oral health journey is over. But even with false teeth, oral health care is incredibly important. With removable or non-removable implant dentures, you need to follow a good oral health routine. Brushing and flossing with a water flosser are great ways to keep your smile both happy and healthy. Book your visit today to talk with us about denture maintenance and all your denture needs.
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