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Denture Whitening
The whole tooth-whitening
craze isn’t just for people with real teeth!
Dentures can be stained and discolored with time with coffee and
cigarette smoke. The way dentures
discolor can be more obvious than real staining and could reveal to the
discerning eye that you have false teeth.
The good news is
that there are teeth whitening options for dentures. Your dentist can perform denture whitening, but the most basic
way to protect against it is with a regular cleaning schedule. Always clean your dentures as often as you’d
clean normal teeth. Use a soft or
medium toothbrush to reach all the crevices and scrub off stubborn surface
stains. Soaking your dentures overnight
will also help maintain a clean look.
You should never use regular tooth whitening products on
your dentures. They could damage your
dentures and render them useless. There
are special denture cleaners and whiteners available over the counter. If all else fails, you can take your
dentures to the dentist for a polishing.
This usually brings the denture back to its original shine and luster,
but you should not expect it to be any whiter than that.
If you now find that the original shade of your teeth is no
longer satisfactory, you can have more expensive teeth installed that have
several shades to choose from. Beware
that these premium dentures may have a wide variety of white shades, but you’ll
also foot a bigger bill to replace all of your teeth. Just like picking paints, your dentist can provide you with a
shade chart to help you find the right color.
For the most part you’ll only have to replace the front
teeth since those are the only visible ones.
Replacing just he front teeth can take some time, but if your dentist
has a lab in his office it could be done while you wait.
If your dentures are old and you wish to replace a lot of
teeth, then you may be better off getting an entirely new set of dentures. You can either have the original fit with
the new teeth, or you can get a new fit to reflect any changes in your jaw and
gums.
Having white dentures is just as important as white
teeth. Your smile is one of your most
crucial social signals, and having clean dentures can go a long way towards
your peace of mind and self-confidence.
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