If you have dentures, you will likely wear them most of the time, but what about when you sleep? Can you or should you wear your dentures while you are sleeping? In this post, we aim to share some information on this topic as it is something we get asked often here at Denture Care Professionals Australia.
Can you sleep with your dentures in?
Dentures can boost your self-esteem and give you the confidence to smile again. They are typically worn all day to ensure the wearer can maintain normal activities such as talking, smiling and eating. When you are sleeping, you do not need your dentures, so the answer to whether you can sleep with dentures or not is a no. You should remove your dentures at night before you go to sleep so that your gums can have a break. While you can sleep in your dentures if you have to, it is recommended that you don’t.
Why shouldn’t you sleep with your dentures in?
There are several reasons why sleeping in your dentures is a bad idea. They are as follows:
They could come loose, and you could choke on them
When you sleep, the mouth relaxes with the rest of your body and it’s not uncommon to make movements without even knowing it. This can be dangerous if you knock your denture out and it falls to the back of your throat. Sleeping with your dentures is a hazard and one that should be avoided at all costs. Reach out to the local denture repair Gold Coast team for assistance and for more information.
You put yourself at higher risk of illness and disease
Research shows that wearing dentures while you sleep increases your risk of developing diseases and conditions, including pneumonia as well as oral hygiene problems such as gum inflammation.
Additionally, if you don’t remove your dentures before you go to sleep, and you fail to follow proper oral hygiene, the bacteria in your mouth can cause odour and infections. While these may not happen straight away, they will most certainly occur if you do this regularly.
What you should do with your dentures when you go to sleep
You shouldn’t wear your dentures to bed, so what should you do with them? Leaving your dentures out in the open air uncleaned while you sleep is a recipe for disaster. The food remnants and saliva left on them are a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. When you put your dentures back into your mouth in the morning, you could potentially make yourself sick. Having a daily cleaning plan in place is crucial for maintaining the health of your dentures and mouth.
Plaque or bacteria on your dentures should be removed by cleaning them thoroughly. Once they are cleaned, they should be stored in an appropriate denture-soaking solution. This will ensure they are hygienic when you put them back in the next morning, and the risk of oral issues is reduced.
Here is how to keep your dentures nice and clean
Your denture routine should be as follows to ensure they are clean:
- Remove your dentures and brush them with a suitable toothbrush and denture-appropriate toothpaste. Ensure that when you are brushing them, you are cleaning the entire surface and rinse with water when done.
- Soak the dentures in a denture-soaking solution. Make sure this is changed daily.
- Before you put your dentures back in in the morning, give them a rinse under the tap first.
If you have any questions about wearing your dentures, feel free to reach out to the denture experts at Denture Care Professionals Australia.
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