From a certain age, especially and depending on how much care each patient takes of their oral hygiene, most of us end up with dentures in our mouths. These can be of several types, depending on local conditions, and so we have fixed or removable dentures.
The advantage of fixed dentures is that they are permanently cemented to the teeth and do not need to be removed every day for cleaning.
On the other hand, removable dentures are anchored to the remaining teeth or alveolar ridges (in the case of full dentures) and in addition to the risk of detachment during functionalization, they also need to be removed every evening for proper hygiene.
Most patients shy away from removable dentures for understandable reasons, but nowadays prosthetics offers modern solutions that reduce much of the discomfort caused by their possible removal.
Even if some patients are fixed denture wearers, this does not exempt them from the obligation to have the cemented work thoroughly cleaned. It is not only removable dentures that need to be taken care of.
Fixed prostheses also need special attention in terms of the hygiene process.
In the case of removable dentures, great care must be taken every time they are removed from the oral cavity to sanitize them, as they can easily crack or become damaged.
After each meal the removable dentures should be removed, rinsed of food debris and then washed with a brush and a non-abrasive paste.
Twice a week, it is recommended to use special mobile denture cleaning tablets dissolved in warm water.
This type of pills is widely available commercially, are affordable and help to clean prosthetic work properly.
In the case of fixed dentures which can be single crowns, dental bridges with abutment teeth and interspersed gaps, overdentures on implant, things get a little more complex.
The abutment teeth in the framework of dental bridges (i.e. the teeth where the fixed dentures are cemented) are sanitized by brushing, in the same way that natural teeth are sanitized by flossing and mouth washing.
For missing teeth that are replaced with bridgework, there is both a special type of floss, which is inserted under the prosthetic work and thoroughly cleans the alveolar ridges, and a special interdental brush, calibrated to the remaining space between the bridgework and the alveolar ridges.
Brushing must be done correctly, always with gentle movements from the gum to the denture, to eliminate the risk of the gum separating from the denture and to reduce the risk of food retention.
Another element that should not be missing from the fixed denture wearer’s hygiene protocol is the mouthwash, designed to clean food particles and some of the dental plaque under the pressure of the water jet.
Fixed denture wearers are advised to visit dental practices for professional hygiene and check-ups every 3-6 months.
