Is it Safe to Wear Dentures Overnight? 

For those who are missing teeth as a result of gum disease and tooth decay or a severe accident, dentures may be a solution. While dentures are not permanently fixed within the mouth, they do provide for aesthetic and functional benefits, allowing a person to eat, speak, and smile as they would with their natural teeth. However, dentures are meant to be removed and cleaned daily, and are not designed to be worn overnight. Here’s what you should know about the risks of sleeping in your dentures and how to best care for your dentures. 

Sleeping in Your Dentures Could Lead to Oral Health Problems

Wearing your dentures overnight could lead to health problems down the line—you should always remove your dentures before falling asleep at night. When you wear your dentures overnight, you could be at an increased risk of:

• Bone loss due to the constant pressure on your gums. 
• Loosening of the dentures, which increases the risk of slippage and limits what types of food you may be able to eat. 
• Bacteria growth between where the dentures and your gums meet—preventing bacterial growth is one of the most important reasons to remove and clean your dentures daily. 
• Gum inflammation, as wearing dentures can block the flow of saliva and oxygen to the tissues and lead to denture stomatitis, also known as thrush (a yeast infection on the surface of the gums). 

The Best Way to Care for Your Dentures

To prevent the above complications, which can be both uncomfortable and dangerous to your health, you should always remove your dentures at night and properly clean and store them. You should rinse your dentures after you remove them, lightly brush them, and then soak them in an approved cleaning solution overnight. Before putting the dentures back in your mouth in the morning, be sure to give them a good rinse.

Keep in mind that in addition to keeping your dentures clean, you’ll also need to take care of your mouth, too. After you remove your dentures, you can gently brush your gums with a very soft toothbrush or/and gargle with salt water and use a soft washcloth to wipe your gums. 

How to Learn More About Dentures and Your Health

Dentures aren’t for everyone, but they can be a great solution for those who aren’t candidates for fixed dental implants. To learn more about how to care for your dentures and your gums, as well as why you should never sleep in your dentures overnight, reach out to Distinctive Dental Solutions directly and schedule an appointment with one of our qualified dentists today.