Dentures should be cleaned after eating, either by rinsing or light brushing. At night, a denture should be rinsed to remove saliva and lose debris, lightly brushed, and immersed in a cleaning solution (powder or tablet form). Hot water should not be used to rinse a denture, only warm. A new cleaning solution should be used daily to avoid contamination. When brushing a denture, do not use toothpaste as it can cause micro-scratches that harbor bacteria. Use a denture brush or soft brush to avoid micro-scratches as well. Do not scrub a denture hard. The underlying mucosa and tongue should be cleaned daily as well with a soft toothbrush because Candida albicans is highly associated with denture-wearers. Make sure the denture is left out for a period of time each day. I like to recommend overnight because many patients are self conscious about not having their teeth in and being seen.
If you still have your Wilkins book from hygiene school, there’s a whole chapter on dentures, check it out!
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