New Dentures in Bendigo, Echuca & St Arnaud.

Dentures are designed to last between 5 and 7 years, but as with most things, how long they last depends on how well they are cared for. As with natural teeth, dentures should be maintained and regularly checked by our denture clinic to ensure they fit correctly. When dentures are first inserted, they fit the gums snugly, but as you get older, your gums will shrink/recede, compromising the denture's fit. As a result, food may get under the denture(s) and start to break regularly. The everyday use of your denture means the teeth will wear down over time.

Eating with your new dentures can be difficult to begin with, but there are a few rules to follow:

• Start by eating softer foods.
• Take smaller mouthfuls of food to enable you to move the food around more easily.
• Chew slowly.
• Place an even amount of food on both sides of the mouth while chewing; this will balance the chewing forces and help stabilise the lower denture.

When you first start eating, you may bite your tongue or cheeks, but this will improve with practice. 

Sticky foods will make eating more difficult.

Food may taste a little different, to begin with, while your mouth adjusts to the feel of the dentures. However, your taste buds are mainly on your tongue, not your teeth. Food will soon start to taste normal again.

Proper oral hygiene is as critical for artificial teeth as natural teeth to reduce plaque or tartar build-up and prevent bad breath. Remove your denture/s after each meal to brush it and remove any residual food. You should always rinse your mouth thoroughly with clean water with your dentures removed.

Regular (once a week) soaking is recommended in Caldent Denture Cleaner. Use a soft bristle denture brush and mild non-abrasive cleaner in the morning and at night to reduce staining and help prevent tartar and plaque build-up on your denture.

Never use hard-bristled brushes, abrasive materials or bleaches to clean your dentures. Use only tepid water, never boiling water, as this may distort your denture.

To prevent accidental damage by dropping the denture, which results in chipped teeth or fracturing the denture base, it is advisable to hold the denture over a sink half full of water or lined with a face washer while cleaning.

The lower denture is fragile and should not be held in the palm of your hand (fig.1), as you could break the denture if you squeeze too hard. Hold the denture as shown in (fig.2). 

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