While you may know to remove your dentures before bed, perhaps you don’t see a point to soaking them while you sleep. The prosthetics aren’t your “real teeth,” anyway; why bother? That said, it’s honestly in your best interest to soak your dentures overnight. Doing so benefits you in various ways, ensuring you and your smile enjoy day-to-day life. For more details on these claims, keep reading and learn four major reasons to give your dentures nightly soaks.
Preserve Your Dentures’ Shape
Though artificial, dentures still wear out over time. The good news is that overnight soaks help them last longer than they would otherwise.
Nightly soaks actually maintain dentures’ shape. The prosthetics typically get a lot of dry air, so they distort without enough moisture. Soaks prevent that by immersing dentures in water (or a cleansing solution) over an extended period. That way, your restorations will remain well-fitted for many years to come.
Keep Your Prosthetics Clean
Dentures get dirty as they’re used like natural teeth do. However, overnight soaks clean the prosthetics and leave them safe to use each morning.
The fact remains that dentures pick up bacteria over time. If this process isn’t checked, “bad” microbes gather on your restorations and cause plaque to grow in your mouth. That’s where overnight soaks come in; these immersions remove the offending bacteria. In doing so, they clean parts of your dentures that a toothbrush simply couldn’t reach.
Make Oral Infections Unlikely
Unless you want thrush, you should soak your dentures each night. The latter habit makes oral infections very unlikely.
You see, failing to clean your devices can cause stomatitis or “thrush.” This condition occurs from yeast building in your mouth, which tends to happen when you wear dentures. Excessive yeast buildup will often redden, swell, and irritate your gum tissues. With overnight soaks of dentures, though, you’d destroy yeast and reduce your risk of thrush.
Help Your Mouth Feel Fresh
Denture soaks are also worthwhile because they freshen up your mouth. If you stick with them, your false teeth won’t give you a bad case of bad breath.
If you didn’t already know, dentures pick up biofilm as they’re used every day. This sticky covering causes foul odors when enough of it is present in your mouth. Thankfully, overnight soaks correct this issue by ridding your dentures of pesky biofilm. This effect is even better if a cleansing solution is used, as tiny bubbles would remove food debris that causes bad breath.
From the facts above, you should see why you should soak your dentures overnight. This practice keeps your restored smile running smoothly!
About the Author
Dr. Michael C. Byars is a dentist based in Kansas City, MO, having earned his DDS from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. His many years in the field have given him expertise in preventive, cosmetic, and even restorative dentistry, as well as emergency dental care. That means he and his team can address all of your smile-based needs! Today, Dr. Byars practices at his self-titled clinic and is reachable on his website and by phone at (816)-781-8222.