Why does my denture get so dirty?

My patient contacted me recently to ask me why every single denture of hers gets very dirty.
I decided to ask me Dental prosthetist friend colleagues and we did a bit of brainstorming to find the right answers. Some of them were pretty obvious, some other quite interesting. And for all of you who would like to investigate in more details, there is a link to a very detailed study on the bottom here.

  • Too much coffee or tea (but sometimes even one cup of tea or coffee can contribute to this problem)

  • Smoking

  • Saliva flow affected by the medicines taken such as for HBP

  • Too much tumeric

  • Toothpaste or abrasive toothbrush that scratches the denture surface and destroys high polish

  • Mouth breathing (causing dry mouth)

  • Bad finish of the denture - gingival junctions not smooth enough

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What to eat when I get my new dentures?

When you receive your first dentures eating can be a bit of a challenge to start with. Give yourself time to heal (if you had extractions done) and don’t expect too much at the very beginning. But don’t give up either: persevere and continue wearing your dentures. If you are getting both upper and lower denture you might need to eat in front of a mirror. The trick is to distribute food evenly on both sides and chop it rather then chew like you used to do with your natural teeth.

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These are some of the foods that you should be able to eat as suggested by existing denture wearers (basically anything soft):

-       mashed potatoes

-       yoghurt

-       mac n cheese

-       soups pureed in a food processor

-       overcooked past

-       pancakes

-       scrambled eggs

-       protein shakes

-       cheesecake

-       cottage cheese

- ice-cream

-       puddings