919-479-5800
3823 Guess Road, Suite PYou must take good care of your partial denture for it to last. You also must take care of the remaining teeth, so the partial can maintain its support. The following steps will help you keep your partial for a long time:
- Take your partial out when you sleep and place it in water mixed with a splash of Listerine®. This lets your gums and teeth rest from the pressure of the partial. Placing it in water keeps it from drying out and changing shape. Just be sure to clean it before storing.
- Do not soak in hot water as it can distort the appliance. Also, remember they are made of brittle acrylic, so be careful not to drop or bend them.
- Remove your partial to clean it using a denture brush and toothpaste or dish detergent after each meal, or at least before bed. This removes loose food debris, plaque and some stains. Do this over a sink filled with water or a towel to prevent breakage in case you drop the denture.
- Brush and floss your teeth with the partial out of your mouth to help prevent future cavities. A fluoride varnish may be recommended if you have problems with dry mouth.
- Occasionally soak your partial in a commercial brand soak designed specifically for partials to help disinfect them and remove stains.
- Maintain your recall visits so we can check your partial and supporting teeth for any problems. Also call us for an appointment if you develop any problem with your denture due to soreness or looseness.
Follow-Up Care
Your jaw bones and gums can shrink up to 1/32 of an inch per year when your teeth are missing and much more immediately after extractions. This is one of the main disadvantages of dentures. Because of these changes, patients should plan an exam with our dentists at least every six months. If patients go too long without realignment or rebasing, it can lead to oral disease or even loss of bone tissue. This is true even with dentures that fit correctly. Dr. Simran Kaur and Dr. Matthew Garcia can prevent and check for problems during regular partial denture follow-up appointments in Durham, North Carolina.
Six-Month Appointment:
- Update medical history
- Evaluate partial fit, bite, aesthetics
- Examine soft tissues for denture irritation
- Oral cancer screening
- Tooth cleaning, evaluation
- Ultrasonic cleaning and disinfecting of denture
- Possible relining of denture if you have had extractions (not possible with Valplast®)
Yearly Follow-Up
Same as six-month appointment. In addition to annual appointments, our dentists may need to see certain patients more frequently. Rather than feeling inconvenienced by this, many patients actually enjoy having these additional visits for peace of mind and a nice clean denture.
Call 919-479-5800 today for any additional questions you have about denture care in Durham, North Carolina!
