Cleaning Implant-Supported Dentures
Total dentures are essentially artificial replacements of your teeth and, like all other artificial or foreign objects in the human body, have their limitations. An advantage to implant-supported dentures is that they are generally much easier to get used to than traditional dentures, but, just because you have dentures doesn't mean you don't need to take care of your mouth as much. On the contrary – oral care is important, even if you no longer have your own teeth. Proper care of your implant-supported dentures will also extend their lifespan.
Care and cleaning the implant and the surrounding area
Caring for dental implants is very important. With thorough hygiene, it is possible to prevent complications, such as gingivitis or jaw inflammation. When inflammation occurs around the implant, your body can react to the implant as a "foreign" entity and reject it. Most often a special dental floss is used for perfect cleaning around the implant. Also, your dental hygienist might recommend interdental brushes, which are intended directly for implants. It is very important that the wire of the interdental brush is coated with plastic to avoid scratching the metal.
Care of the dentures
Proper denture care includes regular cleaning of the denture, just as you would natural teeth. To clean the denture, use your special denture brush with toothpaste and warm water (avoid very hot water). Avoid abrasive cleaning agents that could scratch the surface of the denture (never use bathroom or dishwashing detergents). Excessive scratches in your dentures will create extra places for bacteria and germs to hide in your mouth. You should NEVER use household cleaning products or chemicals. The denture should also not come into contact with acids, alkalis, concentrated alcohol, boiling water and radiant heat (heating elements, stoves), as it could be destroyed.
The dental prosthesis must be immersed 2-3 times a week in a special cleaning solution that contains disinfectant additives (the solution is created by dissolving tablets that are freely available in pharmacies, follow the procedure given in the package leaflet). Disinfecting dentures is just as important as cleaning them. The surface of the prostheses is not optimally smooth. Under high magnification under the microscope, small chambers are visible in which harmful dental plaque bacteria, various types of mold and yeast survive.
If the denture is not regularly disinfected, inflamed red spots appear under the removable prosthesis on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, which increase in size over time and can even cause sores. In such a case, seek a dentist immediately, even outside of the period of regular preventive examinations.
It is necessary to clean not only the prosthesis, but also the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, and the remaining teeth or treated tooth roots. Use a soft, medium-sized toothbrush to clean and stimulate the oral mucosa. By doing so, clean all areas that are otherwise covered by restorations at least once a day. In addition, you stimulate the surface of the mucous membrane, which is covered by the prosthesis during the day, with the toothbrush. Without this stimulation, the mucous membrane weakens and ceases to fulfill its function, which can be manifested, for example, in taste disorders.
