Over time, your sparkling new dentures may start to look a little jaded and stained. You may get to the stage where regular cleaning isn't enough to brighten them up and you may need to find other ways to get rid of stains. Bleaching them out may seem a viable solution but may cause more problems than it solves.
Bleach and Dentures Don't Always Mix Well
Although a soak in a bleach solution may get rid of your denture stains, it may also damage your dentures and actually make them look far worse. For example, long soaks in bleach may affect the structure of your dentures. According to the British Dental Health Foundation, bleach may make your dentures weaker. This may affect their flexibility or make them more likely to break.
Bleach can also have negative cosmetic effects on your smile. While it may make the teeth areas look whiter and less stained, it may also affect the gum colour of false teeth. If you soak your dentures in bleach regularly, you may well see the pink gums of your dentures turn paler and even white. Far from improving your smile, this may well make it look unhealthy and odd, and you may be forced to pay for new dentures much earlier than normal.
Alternatives to Bleach
Rather than bleach out stains, it's better to try other ways to keep your dentures looking in tiptop condition. The following tips may help:
- Get in the habit of cleaning your dentures regularly every day. Use soap or a denture toothpaste; if you want to brush, use a denture brush. Don't use regular toothpastes or brushes. These may damage the surface of your false teeth, which may ultimately increase hard-to-remove staining.
- Try effervescent denture cleaning tablets as part of your regular cleaning routine, say once a week or more frequently if you feel that is better. These tablets often tackle stains that you can't get rid of with regular cleaning.
- Talk to your dentist about your colour problems and ask if they may be down to plaque. Plaque builds up on dentures just as it does on real teeth and it may make dentures look less bright. Your dentist may be able to clean it off for you and give you tips on how to prevent it building up again.
- Ask your dentist to recommend a professional denture cleaning service. Some dentists offer this service; others may be able to point you to a denture clinic with a cleaning machine.
Tip: Like real teeth, dentures will stain if you drink a lot of tea, coffee or red wine. Smoking may also cause staining. If you reduce your intake of these drinks or quit smoking, you may find it easier to maintain your denture colour.
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