You just received your new dentures, and you look forward to the positive changes and experiences your beautiful smile will provide. Having a complete set of teeth once again can give you a new lease on life, helping you to feel more confident morning, noon, and night. But why then is it that dentists recommend you remove your dentures before going to bed? Why should you not wear your custom prosthetics 24/7? Read on to find out.
How Much Time Should Be Spent Wearing Dentures?
The only time you should wear your dentures a full 24 hours is immediately after you receive your initial set of teeth. After that, they are not to be considered full-time teeth.
What this means is that you only need to wear them throughout the day. When waking up, you can reinsert your dentures after thoroughly cleaning your mouth as well as your artificial teeth. You can then wear them while eating and drinking throughout the day, only to remove them before going to bed.
There are a few reasons why it’s best that you take them out when preparing to go to sleep:
- It gives your dentures a chance to undergo a thorough cleaning with a specialized product designed to eliminate bacteria and harmful particles.
- It gives your mouth, specifically your bone and gums, a chance to breathe and obtain valuable nutrients.
- It takes the pressure off your gums and bone so that they can heal.
What Can Happen if You Don’t Remove Dentures Before Bed?
It might seem odd to remove your artificial teeth while you sleep, but the reality is that there are serious problems that can occur if you choose not to do so, such as:
- Bacteria can become trapped beneath the denture, causing bad breath and gum disease.
- Gums can become inflamed and painful if dentures are left in place all the time. This causes the prosthetics to become difficult to wear.
- There is a greater increase in yeast infections to form because of the moist, dark environment that exists beneath the denture.
- The body’s immune system can become suppressed because of inflammation, making it more likely for disease to develop.
- Bacteria that form on dentures throughout the night can lead to respiratory illnesses that make it hard to breathe (i.e., pneumonia).
- Added pressure placed on the gums and bone will quicken bone resorption, causing it to shrink more rapidly and causing your dentures to no longer fit properly.
Give your mouth time to heal and breathe each day by remembering to remove your dentures before calling it a night. Doing so will give you the best chance of avoiding unexpected changes and challenges and instead, enjoy life with your new smile for longer.
About the Practice
The dental experts at Westgate Dental Care are here to make smiles brand-new. Offering effective tooth replacement solutions like dentures, we can craft customized prosthetics that look natural, feel comfortable, and are easy to use. When preparing for this type of service, you can expect to learn about the ins and outs of treatment and why it’s necessary to remove your dentures before bed. If you would like to discuss your future with dentures and how to extend their lifespan, visit our website or call us at (847) 908-3684.