Donvale dentist clinic, Holistic Dental, offers a variety of dentistry services including preparation of dentures.
You have been to your family Donvale dentist and he has measured your mouth to prepare and fit dentures. Once you have the dentures in hand you will have to take good care of them to ensure the dentures remain clean and do not become a source of bacterial infection.
Using proprietary formulations
Once your Donvale dentist has fitted the dentures he will give you recommendations on using formulations specifically prepared to clean dentures. It is wise to follow the dentist’s recommendations on using such formulations. In general, people use brands such as Efferdent, Protech or Polident. These are effective and you may not need to look further. Yes, it is expensive considering you have to clean your dentures every night to keep them absolutely clean and free of bacteria and fungi. However, if you conduct a google search you will find those denture cleansers contain ingredients such as sodium bicarbonate and sodium hypochlorite. You may just as well use these materials to clean dentures rather than pay for brand names but that is a questionable decision. Still, for those who wish to use materials to clean dentures, here is a little bit of information on which materials to use, the action and the downside.
Materials to clean dentures you can use at home
Here are a few materials that can be used to clean your dentures. Ideally, the material should remove the biofilm on your dentures and also kill microorganisms. Not all these materials are capable of both.
- Vinegar: This is a good cleaning agent and it also has a certain amount of antimicrobial action. It is advisable to use a diluted solution of vinegar. It may not be effective against certain bacteria and fungi.
- Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda): Bicarb is good for cleaning purposes. It may not possess antimicrobial properties so your best bet is to use it in conjunction with other materials that can kill microbes. Combine it with a mouthwash containing chlorhexidine and you can achieve both goals of cleaning the denture and rendering it bacteria-free.
- Hydrogen peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizing agent. Use a stronger concentrated solution and when you dip the dentures in such solution or apply it with a brush you will see the foam. The peroxide penetrates deeper and effectively kills bacteria and fungi. It is best combined with sodium bicarbonate. The paste is applied using a denture brush.
- Sodium hypochlorite: Make a dilute solution and preferably use along with baking soda and a drop of mouthwash to clean and thoroughly disinfect dentures.
What these common cleaning materials lack is the presence of enzymes. Ready to use formulations contain enzymes that act on proteins in the biofilm layer on your dentures which is as good a reason as any to follow the advice of your Donvale dentist and stick with the recommended denture cleaning material.
Dentures have more surface area and the area that is in contact with your gums is a potential site from where bacteria can cause systemic health issues by entering the bloodstream and your respiratory as well as digestive tract. Contact us or visit Donvale dentist to get the best guidance on cleaning dentures and use of right cleaning materials.
