Denture Care
Comfort + clean = confidence.
Daily routine
- Remove + rinse after every meal.
- Brush dentures (soft brush) before bed.
- Soak overnight in cleaner solution.
- Brush gums + tongue with soft brush 2x daily.
- Rinse dentures in morning before reinserting.
- Never sleep in dentures — gum disease + sores.
Cleaning products
- Polident — most popular. Effervescent tablets.
- Efferdent — similar, often cheaper.
- Denture brush — different from toothbrush, $5.
- Mild dish soap — for daily brush. Not regular toothpaste (too abrasive).
- Never bleach — yellows acrylic.
- Never hot water — warps dentures.
Adhesives
- Fixodent — most popular cream.
- Poligrip — strong hold variant.
- Sea Bond — strips, less mess.
- If you NEED lots of adhesive — dentures don't fit. Get adjusted.
- Avoid zinc-containing adhesives — can cause nerve damage with overuse.
Cost-saving denture care
- Annual reline ($300-400) — readjusts fit as gums shrink.
- Replace every 5-7 years.
- Dental schools — discounted dentures.
- Aspen Dental, Affordable Dentures — chains, lower cost.
- Medicare Advantage often includes some dental.
- Original Medicare = NO dental. Get dental insurance separately.
Implants vs dentures
Implant-supported dentures = $5K-30K but stable, no adhesive needed. Last 20+ years. Worth it if budget allows. Mexico/Costa Rica dental tourism = 50-70% savings (research clinic carefully).