Oral Hygiene: How to Clean Your Mouth When You Have No Natural Teeth

Millions of Americans currently wear dentures. That number will likely grow as the Baby Boomers continue to age. According to 50PLUS.com, periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss. Brushing and flossing daily is a good way to fight disease. However, there are other factors that can lead to partial or complete tooth loss. These include lack of nutrition, steroids, oral contraceptives, teeth grinding, and genetics. Read this informative article and find out how to care for your mouth when you have no natural teeth.

Cleaning and Caring for Your Mouth

Caring for your mouth when you wear full dentures is just as important as it was when you had natural teeth. You must remove plaque, food debris, germs and bacteria on a daily basis. First, remove your dentures and place them in a denture solution. Or, you can use diluted mouthwash. You need to take your dentures out, and leave them out, for at least 6 to 8 hours a day. This gives your mouth a "rest" and allows your gums to "breathe". Wearing your dentures 24/7 can irritate your gums, cause sore spots, and even cause infections of the gums.

Next- run tap water over a soft-bristled toothbrush to wet it. Hard bristles can injure your gums and cause them to be red and sore. Gently brush your gums to clean them. Brushing your gums also stimulates them, and aids in blood circulation. Run additional water over the toothbrush as needed to keep it wet. You can place a pea-size amount of plain, non-abrasive toothpaste on the brush before you begin to help kill germs and bacteria. Or, you can finish your mouth cleaning by rinsing with an antiseptic mouthwash.

Brush your palate (the roof of your mouth) gently with the toothbrush to clean your mouth when you have no natural teeth. And finally, brush your tongue. You can use a tongue cleaner- an instrument with a curved head- to remove plaque and food debris, if you choose.

Brush your gums, palate and tongue every morning before you put your dentures in. It's a good idea to remove your dentures and rinse your mouth with a solution of lukewarm salt water every day too, as an additional mouth cleaning.

The final step in good oral hygiene when you have no natural teeth is to see your dentist on a regular basis. S/he will examine your mouth and make sure there are no signs of infection or other problems.

Resources

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/tc/tooth-decay-cause

http://www.orlandodenturesandimplants.com/tooth-loss/causes-diseases

http://www.50plus.com/health/dealing-with-dentures/1402/

http://www.ada.org/2996.aspx

http://www.newteethbytom.com/documents%20for%20ntbt%20wp/Caring%20for%20Your%20Dentures.htm