People who wear false teeth are not immune to bad breath (halitosis); unfortunately, the same compounds responsible for causing bad breath when you have natural teeth can still thrive along the surface of your dentures as well as along other parts of the mouth. This can become both unpleasant and embarrassing, and it can be tricky to permanently remove the unwelcome odour from a set of dentures. With that in mind, make sure you take these steps to prevent denture halitosis.
1. Clean After Every Meal
Bacteria can grow very easily on your dentures, particularly on the plate that rests just below the top of your mouth. To prevent denture halitosis, you need to make sure you brush every area down after every meal. Take the dentures out, then scrub them with a soft-bristled toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste to ensure that the bacteria is removed; this should be done soon after meals to prevent bacteria and food debris drying onto the plastic. You can then soak the denture to see it properly cleansed.
2. Use a Tongue Cleaner
Many people who have full upper and lower sets of dentures forget to continue taking care of their oral health; after all, there are no teeth left to brush or floss. This may be true, but there is still your tongue to consider. It can also harbour the bacteria and other compounds that cause bad breath, and without regular exposure to toothpaste during a normal cleaning routine, the tongue can become particularly smelly. To prevent this from happening, use a tongue scraper to remove any build-up across its surface.
3. Maintain a Proper Fit
People tend to think that dentures never need to be adjusted, but this is just not true. The shape of your mouth will change over time, and your dentures will become ill-fitted as a result. This can be problematic for a number of reasons, one of which is that bacteria will be able to slip into spaces that should be covered and begin to thrive. When this happens, you'll be likely to start suffering from bad breath.
4. Rest Your Mouth
If you wear your dentures all day and all night, saliva won't be able to properly cleanse your gums and the roof of your mouth. This is unfortunate since saliva contains compounds important for killing bacteria; it's your body's own natural mouthwash, but it needs to be able to get to all key areas in order to help eliminate bad breath. Make sure you remove your dentures for part of the day, especially while you are sleeping, to let your saliva take care of business.
Share