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Couple of questions about dentures

S

shona

Junior member
Joined
Mar 12, 2008
Messages
7
Location
Edinburgh
Sorry if this is in the wrong place, didn't know where else to ask!

My appointment for my GA is set for the 19 of this month, so I was wondering, I haven't really been told about looking after my denture, I'm assuming this will all be explained at my appointment though. What I wanted to know just now is, do I need to buy a special toothbrush and toothpaste for cleaning them? I want to have everything ready for when I come home, so I can recover at home without having to go out and buy stuff. Ideally, I would just be able to use a normal toothbrush and toothpaste and brush them without taking them out. I really don't want to have to take them out to clean them, not until I get used to them anyway.

Also, am I able to sleep with them in? I don't know why, but I'm really scared at seeing myself without my front teeth and I don't wanna scare my son!

And, do I need to buy any of the products that help the denture stay in? Or should it be quite secure from the start?

Sorry for all the questions, I know on the day of the GA I'll forget to ask the dentist!

Thanks.
 
Hi there!

I dunno anything about dentures, really. But the dentists on the forum does. You can ask this question in the questions section... I've been told that the dentists only read what's in there.

Could you build up the courage and phone your dentist?

I understand your concerns and I'm sure you can put 'em back in and sleep with your dentures after cleaning...? Unless your gum needs to heal or something. Well, as I said. I don't know. But I hope you will know soon!

Hugs!
 
I just had a top immidiate denture and may be able to help a little.......My dentist told me not to use the regular tooth paste because over time it causes damage to your denture....so I buy the poligrip to soak them in and then brush them with a denture brush...they only cost about 3 dollars.

You have to take them out to clean them properly...your dentist will probably tell you to leave them in for 24 to 48 hours,then carefully take them out and brush them.

as far as sleeping with them in all the dentista say to TAKE THEM OUT AT NIGHT!!!but I was and am like you...i prefer to keep them in so I don't scare my kids and also I can't stand the way I look without them....so against what the dentists say I sleep with mine ...I take them out for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening...as you get used to them you will find a routine that you are comfortable with...it's been 3 months and I still sleep with them in...I just take them out 2 times in 24 hours(not recommended but it works for me)
I diden't use adhesive the first week because they fit pretty snug and my dentist wanted me to heal a bit first so in my opininon ...try not to use adhesive right away and don't take them out the first time until the dentist tells you(unless u really need to but the if you can leave them in it's much better and you heal quicker)

it takes alot of adjusting but you'll do great and be so happy when its done.
I am getting used to seeing myself without the teeth....when my daughter has sleep overs she asks if I can take my teeth out and smile for her friends and well I can do it to make them laugh:ROFLMAO:so I have defanatly made progress.
If you have any questions feel free to pm me.
your in my thoughts.
 
Hi, thanks for the replies!

I am kinda worried about sleeping with them in in case I choke or something, but I'm terrified of how I'm gonna look/sound without my teeth.

Still can't wait until it's all over though. In 2 weeks time it'll all be over and done with, just hope healing doesn't take too long!
 
I just got full uppers and lowers on Tuesday, so 4 days ago. If you're like me it'll be a bit of an emotional roller-coaster, but it's survivable.

Feel free to check out my journal of my experience.

My dentist gave me a little box when I got my dentures that included 4 of the effervescent soaking tabs, a little tube of adhesive, a denture brush, and a two-part soaking box thing. I'd recommend if you're looking to be fully prepared so you don't have to go out shopping for awhile, call your doc and find out what their starter kit contains and get whatever you'll run short of.

You'll need:
  • Something big enough to soak your dentures in, so they're completely immersed. Most glasses aren't big enough unless your mouth is very small.
  • Some kind of overnight soaking cleaner - find one that works in 30 minutes but is safe for overnight soaking.
  • A denture brush - they're pretty much all the same.
  • Adhesive - This is a variable thing, you won't know what kind you'll like until you try a few, and you may or may not need it at any given time.
You can't use regular toothpaste on your dentures because it's too abrasive - tooth enamel is much, much stronger than the acrylic the dentures are made of. The polishing material in normal toothpaste will scratch your dentures over time, leaving little places for bad stuff to take up residence and make your breath smell bad.

The overnight soaking stuff is really all you need. Brush them off under tap water to get them decently clean, then put them in the soak. When you get ready to put them in they're clean. Rinse 'em off, maybe give them another quick touch-up with the brush, and you're good. It's quicker than real teeth. (They do have advantages.)

As far as adhesive goes, it's annoying. I don't really like it because it's a PITA to get off of whatever it gets stuck to (which is pretty much the stuff it's supposed to stick to, but they don't joke about it being sticky.) It's not sticky like gum or caramel. It's sticky like duct tape. You can unstick it, but it doesn't come off easy. My advice is to skip it if you can, at least at first while you're healing. My upper fits well enough to stay in as long as I don't do anything weird or try to chew. (I've been taking my dentures out to eat for the most part, or just eating things I don't have to chew.) The lower... well from my very limited experience gravity will keep it generally in place pretty well combined with a basic fit. I think as my mouth heals and I feel more confident and comfortable actually chewing things that adhesive will be helpful in keeping it stable if the fit isn't perfect.

Also, I'm going to be trying out the tape-type adhesive pads soon. Watch my journal if you're interested in how they do for me.


My understanding of the sleeping issue is that your gums need to rest from the dentures. While you sleep is just a convenient time for most people to do it. I'm still trying to adapt to wearing dentures (or not wearing them and having no teeth) so the jury is still out on which I find more comfortable for sleeping, but I got a pretty decent night's sleep last night with them out. Mine don't fit perfect yet, and I have trouble getting my lips to stay closed with them in. I don't like having my mouth open when I sleep, so the dentures are less comfortable for me.

I've also been told that your gums will heal a little faster with your dentures out, so you might think about that.


Don't worry about choking on them. They're far too large to even get started in that direction. In fact, they're going to be a lot larger than you want them to be, but you get used to it. Expect to dislike your dentures at first. They'll be uncomfortable, weird, and in the way, but don't let that get you down. As you go in for adjustments and you get used to them they'll bother you less and less.

I still get that "creepy" thing when I look in the mirror and don't see my old teeth. The dentures look really strange and fake (to me - they're fine). Being toothless will be weird at first but you get used to it before too long.

Talking is weird, that's just a given. Talking without dentures won't sound right and talking with them won't either. I sound better with my dentures than without, but I'm getting better at both. It's like I'm having to relearn a lot of things.

The key thing is not to freak out when you discover something that doesn't work like it used to. When I took my dentures out the first time and found I didn't know how to stop drooling, it freaked me out. Don't worry, you'll learn the new trick to it (whatever it will be for you) pretty quickly. I spent a lot of time laying down with my shoulders and head elevated so that it was easier not to accidentally drool, and that's kind of like putting training wheels on the bike.


If you've got any other questions I'll be happy to answer as best I can. So far what I've learned that I wish I'd known is this: Expect it to suck but be positive. It's going to bother you, annoy you, freak you out, whatever phrase you want to use. I spent a good amount of time worrying about "how the heck am I ever going to deal with _____". But it does get better and you'll adapt fast enough you'll forget a lot of the problems you had to begin with. I say to expect it to suck so that you don't have a lot of false hope that gets crushed (I was thinking I'd bounce back as quick as I did from the previous extractions, but there's more to it when you've got the dentures to cope with too.) So it's a "plan for the worst, hope for the best" kind of thing.

Oh, make sure you're stocked up on Ibuprofen, too. That stuff is awesome for this.
 
Hi Shona :welcome:, we've got two pages with all sorts of denture info here:


Hopefully these links will answer all your questions and you'll feel well prepared.

All the best with your appointment :grouphug:
 
Hello Shona
I'm a denture wearer but have been away from the forum for a little while so hadn't seen your posts. I too had all these questions before I had my extractions and made a note to ask the dentist well before the day so I could get everything in ready but when I had the dentures fitted (immediates at the time of extraction) I was given a little box in which to keep them overnight, a denture toothbrush, sample tube of DentUCreme toothpaste which is very gentle and non abrasive, and a couple of sample tubes of Fixodent. Since then however, although I keep with the toothpaste I actually use Polygrip Ultra fixative, not particularly liking any of the Fixodents on the market, and have gone through other toothbrushes, buying just a soft one with tongue scraper the other side.
As for cleaning, I remember that years ago people tended to soak their dentures overnight in Steradent or similar but my dentist did say that unless I smoked or ate things that stained, once a week soaking would be OK and this is what I stick to. Overnight soaking in their little box in plain water, and just once a week a soak in Steradent.
Other people have given you good advice. I don't know if you read my journal on my experiences, it was sometime ago now, but for me the whole experience was fine, absolutely no problems at all with either upper or lower denture and since having had my permanents fitted about 6 weeks ago I don't even feel as if I have dentures, they just are part of me.
So all the best for the 19th, just keep posting and asking questions and we'll all be there for you because we know just what you're going through.:grouphug:
 
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