Why Its Important To Remove Your Dentures At Night
Learning how to live with your new dentures may take a couple of weeks.
It’s completely normal to have lots of questions and we encourage you to speak with our denture professionals to make your transition as easy as possible.
One of the most common questions we get asked is “why do I need to remove my dentures before bed?” This is a great question, and the answer is important to your longterm success with dentures.
First, let’s discuss a little bit about how dentures change the structure of your mouth and jaw.
Wearing Dentures 24 Hours a Day Causes Resorption
Although you won’t feel it, your bones are constantly being reshaped and renewed as the needs of your body change.
When you lose a tooth, your jaw begins to shrink and bone loss occurs. Under normal conditions, with a full set of teeth, your body replaces bone in your jaw faster than it can decay.
When you experience a change in your jaw — perhaps as a result of lost teeth — your body starts to think that the bone where you’ve lost teeth is no longer necessary. As a result, the bone begins to shrink. This process is called resorption.
Shrunken jaw bones can lead to facial sagging and dentures becoming loose and uncomfortable.
Wearing dentures 24 hours a day causes inflammation in the jaw, which significantly increases the rate of resorption.
In order to keep your gums and jaw as healthy and strong as possible, it’s important to remove your dentures at night to give your mouth a much-needed rest.
Wearing Dentures Overnight Can Cause Pain, Discomfort, and Sore Spots
Dentures put a constant amount of pressure on your gums when you wear them. If they’re left in your mouth overnight, you may find yourself waking up with sore spots and discomfort.
As we mentioned above, wearing dentures while you sleep increase the rate of resorption as well. Which means the more you do it, the more frequently you’ll find yourself waking up with sore spots.
Germs & Bacteria Thrive When You Keep Your Dentures In Overnight
Dental hygiene changes once you use dentures. You’ll need to take our dentures out and give them a good clean each evening, or you may be allowing a variety of germs and bacteria to make a home in your mouth.
The presence of germs and bacteria in your mouth can lead to stinky breath, infections, disease, and other health complications.
Make sure you’re maintaining proper oral hygiene by cleaning your dentures and gums every night.
By removing your dentures overnight, you’ll have a much more comfortable and healthy journey with your new teeth.
Do you have questions about your new life with dentures? Our denturists have the answers you’re looking for. Contact us today!
