IF you are really wanting to look young with your dentures, you will need to do more than put on an act: you’ll have to keep your dentures bright. After all, tooth color is one of the signs that people use to judge your age, and if your dentures are deeply discolored, they will make you look older rather than making you look younger.
Fortunately, though, there are ways to make sure your dentures retain their original shade and don’t become stained.
Quality Dentures Resist Staining
One of the most important things to remember is that how much your dentures stain depends at least partly on the quality of the dentures. High-quality dentures are less porous in their base, making them not only sturdier, but also more resistant to staining.
Even more important, the teeth make a big difference between high quality and economy dentures. In economy dentures, the teeth are made of plastic just like the base. In quality dentures, the teeth are made of an advanced ceramic material, similar to the material used to make porcelain veneers and other ceramic restorations. This material is very stain resistant, and when properly cared for will resist staining for a decade or more.
Give Up or Reduce Staining Habits
Once you have invested in quality dentures, you can reduce your staining risk even more by reducing the exposure of your dentures to staining compounds. In particular, cigarette smoke causes significant stains on your dentures. Because cigarettes are also bad for your oral and general health, quitting altogether is a good idea.
On the other hand, there are many other staining compounds your dentures can come in contact with. Staining beverages like coffee, tea, red wine, and dark beer can cause discoloration to occur at a much faster rate. Foods like chocolate and berries can also contribute to staining. Even some light-colored foods like potatoes and apples contain staining compounds (consider the way these turn dark after they’re cut open).
Reducing consumption of these staining foods and beverages will slow staining. You can also reduce staining by using a straw when you drink these beverages or taking your dentures out sometimes when drinking staining beverages. A quick rinse after drinking a staining beverage can also help slow staining of your dentures.
Clean Your Dentures Properly
Cleaning your dentures properly is another way to reduce staining. At the very least, make sure you are thoroughly brushing your dentures and soaking them every night to help control stains. There are also denture cleaners designed to remove stains. If denture stains start to build up, you can take your dentures in for an ultrasonic cleaning, which may remove some of the stains.
Resist the temptation to try a homemade denture cleaner. These are generally not very effective, and some of them can result in damage to your dentures.
Replace Dentures Regularly
Stains build up on dentures over time. As your dentures get older, they may acquire stains more readily. In the case of plastic teeth, the holes in teeth can grow in size, allowing more staining compounds to accumulate in the teeth. In the case of ceramic teeth, the ceramic glaze can eventually be worn away by use and cleaning, and they’ll begin to stain.
Whatever kind of teeth your dentures have, in a decade or so, your dentures will need replacing. Replacement dentures can restore your smile to its original brilliance. Whether you’re looking for new dentures or replacement dentures, please call (803) 781-9090 for an appointment with a Columbia, SC denture dentist at Smile Columbia Dentistry today.
