Taking care of false teeth: The proper use of denture cleaners, soaks and brushes.

False teeth aren't maintenance free. Just like natural teeth, dentures will accumulate dental plaque, tartar and stain. This means that every denture wearer (or their caretaker) will need to take some daily steps so to keep their false teeth fresh and clean and their mouth healthy.

Effective denture care is founded upon a two-tiered approach. First, the denture must be mechanically cleansed (scrubbed). Then chemically cleansed and disinfected using a soaking solution. This hub discusses mechanical denture cleaning. In a second hub I have discussed chemical denture cleansing using either commercial or homemade solutions.

"Mechanically cleansing" a denture simply refers to scrubbing it. Conceivably this could be accomplished with a washcloth or a sponge. The most common way, however, is by using a brush.

Pretty much any type of brush can be used. The brush will need to be stiff enough to deliver an adequate scrubbing action, yet not so harsh that over time it abrades the denture. You can buy specialized denture brushes. These brushes can be found in any local store selling oral care products and are inexpensive. A denture brush is probably the best choice since it has been specially designed for cleaning false teeth. However, many other types of brushes (i.e. nailbrush, toothbrush) can prove to be quite satisfactory. Whatever brush you choose should be dedicated to just use with your false teeth.

Knowing how to clean a denture with a brush doesn't take a lot of instruction. You should first rinse the denture off so to remove any loose debris that is present. Then, in the presence of water, go ahead and begin the brushing. It is important that you clean both the inside (tissue side) and the outside of the denture thoroughly. Make sure that you wipe or brush out any denture adhesive that has been placed. Look for and remove dental plaque that has accumulated on the outside of the denture.

You may choose to use a denture toothpaste or cream when you brush your false teeth. Other suitable products include hand soap and mild dishwashing liquid. None of these items, however, are mandatory. The primary emphasis of this step of denture cleaning is simply the mechanical action of the brush against the denture. Toothpaste is not an appropriate choice because it often contains abrasives that might scratch a denture's surface. When you have finished scrubbing, rinse your denture off thoroughly with water.

Dentures should be brushed (inside and out) after every meal. They should be cleansed chemically (as described in the second part of this hub) once a day. When your denture is out, go ahead and clean your mouth too. Any teeth that are present should be brushed and flossed. Your gums and palate should be gently scrubbed with your toothbrush. Your tongue should be brushed or cleaned with a tongue scraper.

Be careful when you brush your false teeth. Dentures are delicate. Dropping them, even from a height of just a few inches, can break or otherwise damage them. As a precaution, when you brush your denture either hold it over a folded towel or a sink filled with a few inches of water. This way if you drop it its fall will be cushioned.

Scrubbing a denture with a brush is not as effective as you might anticipate. Researchers evaluating pictures taken with an electron microscope found that even after the most diligent brushing efforts large numbers of microorganisms still remain attached to a denture's surface. These same researchers found that the effectiveness of mechanical denture cleaning could be significantly improved if, after brushing, a denture was placed into an ultrasonic cleaning unit.

Ultrasonic units that are suitable for use with false teeth are sold either as denture cleaning units or else units for cleaning jewelry. The same unit can be used for both, assuming the denture will fit into its bath. The price of these units, usually ranging from $50 to $150, can be modestly prohibitive. It is a judgement call as to whether one should be bought. They do help to make denture cleaning easier and more effective but they are by no means mandatory.

Situations where more than one person can use the unit can tip the scales if favor of purchasing one. In this type of situation cross contamination between dentures can be avoided by placing the denture being cleansed in a baggie partially filled with water or denture cleaning solution rather than directly into the solution in the unit's bath.

The next portion of this hub will discuss the second step of effective denture care, cleaning and disinfecting with soaking solutions.

A more detailed discussion about denture care, both brushing and using homemade and commercial denture cleaners, can be found on Animated-Teeth.com.