The best ways to clean dentures
Dentures should not be cleaned in the same way as natural teeth – toothpaste can be abrasive and wear down the false teeth and gums on dentures.
Instead a special denture brush should be used to clean dentures daily with soap and warm water – ideally use washing up liquid.
Daily cleaning of dentures
Dentures should be rinsed under the tap after eating, and cleaned with a denture brush, soap and tap water before going to bed.
Dentures should not be worn overnight to avoid denture related oral thrush. Instead dentures should be placed into a denture pot (or cup) of water after cleaning at bedtime.
- Denture Bath & Brush £7.50
Ultrasonic cleaning of denturesIf you struggle to clean your denture with a denture brush then an alternative method would be to soak it an ultrasonic cleaner for 5-10 minutes, until visibly clean. - Ultrasonic Cleaner for Dentures £45.99
Disinfecting your dentures
For disinfection (e.g. after having oral thrush) dentures can be soaked in a hypochlorite based cleaner or a chlorhexidine mouthwash:- If using a hypochlorite based cleaner (e.g. Milton Sterilising fluid diluted with 4 parts water):
- All-plastic dentures should be soaked for 15 minutes
- Dentures with metal parts should only be soaked for 10 minutes
- If using a chlorhexidine mouthwash then soak for at least 15 minutes
- If using a hypochlorite based cleaner (e.g. Milton Sterilising fluid diluted with 4 parts water):
Acid based cleaners (such as Steradent) should not be used for dentures with metal parts.
Text and further advice via Dentalchoices.org