Tweet
Blog Archives
Whitening your denture
We were asked this question recently in our ‘Ask the Denture Specialist Category’. Dentures stain and discolour over time just like teeth, especially if you smoke or drink lots of tea and coffee. In most cases you should be able to remove this staining with regular cleaning. So here are some tips that you might find beneficial:
- But a proper denture brush especially made to clean dentures and other partials.
- Invest in a sonic denture cleaner to avoid scratching the surface of your denture and leaving it susceptible to staining.
- Use Nitradine Shine Removable Appliance Toothpaste which is formulated to whiten and polish your denture.
- Make a paste from baking soda – it’s a non-abrasive cleaner so won’t damage your denture.
- Have them professionally cleaned by a denture specialist in their laboratory.
Don’t forget to treat your dentures as you would natural teeth. They must be kept as clean as possible to prevent inflamed gums and bacterial and fungal infections.
Microwave your dentures to kill off bacteria
This might seem an unorthodox cleaning method, but a group of researchers is encouraging people to do just that – microwave their dentures to kill off potential bacteria.
The study appeared in the Journal of the American Dental Association and proposed a three minute microwave zap to kill off any dangerous biofilm bacteria lurking on them. The method would disinfect dentures coated with even the toughest biofilms for up to a week.
Biofilms are thin layers of bacteria that cover your dentures and these germs have been known to contain serious strains of MRSA or drug-resistant staphylococcus aureus bacteria, waiting to be breathed into the lungs and cause hard-to-treat infections.
The study, which tested methods for eliminating MRSA on 36 dentures, is a small one. But some US experts have said they may recommend the microwave method to improve the oral hygiene of their patients.
It goes without saying that dentures containing metal shouldn’t go in the microwave.
We are not certain we would recommend this method just quite yet, so if you are looking for a safe and trusted way to eliminate biofilms try using Nitradine Disinfecting Tablets, our bestselling denture cleaner.
Valplast Flexible Partials Polishing Techniques
Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS)
Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is a condition that commonly affects women after menopause and is often described as a scalding sensation throughout the mouth. Symptoms can include tingling or numbness on the tip of the tongue, a dry or sore mouth and a bitter or metallic change in taste.
Often the cause isn’t determined but hormonal changes, acid reflux, certain medicines, oral thrush, nutritional deficiencies and psychological problems such as anxiety and depression have all been identified as contributing factors
There is also a very strong link between BMS and badly fitted dentures which irritate delicate mouth tissues. In rare cases there can also be an allergic reaction to denture materials.
If you experience persistent pain in your tongue, lips and gums for more than a week you should make an appointment with your GP. And if you are a denture wearer visit your dentist for a thorough evaluation of your denture fitting.
Valplast Precise-Fit removable partial dentures
The introduction of digital technologies to the dental industry has been providing dental technicians with new equipment, processes and materials for decades. Until now, those technologies were limited to fixed prosthetics and seldom used for removable prosthetics.
With Precise-Fit™ from Valplast, we’re giving a whole new meaning to the term ‘trial dentures.’ Now, Valplast® dentures can be designed and blocked-out from any digital scan or .stl file and output to a unique printed base that can be tried into the patient’s mouth.
With a Precise-Fit™ baseplate from Valplast, the dentist can evaluate not only the jaw relation and tooth arrangement, but also preview the fit of the final restoration before processing, saving labs and doctors valuable time and money and reducing the need for adjustments.
You can read more about Valplast Precise-Fit RPD’s here: www.precise-fit.com
Missing teeth can effect your tongue and denture
Did you know that missing teeth can enlarge your tongue? The tongue, as of course you are aware, works with teeth to move food around your mouth while you chew. But when teeth are missing the tongue compensates with more strenuous activity and being a muscle (in fact many groups of muscles) it naturally responds like any other muscle in your body by enlarging.
This can lead to problems when fitting a denture as an enlarged tongue can impair a successful denture impression and later comprimise denture stability.
If you already have full dentures you may experience a similar problem if you don’t always wear your upper and lower dentures to chew. So it is worth bearing this in mind at mealtimes.
There is a modern solution to missing teeth in the form of Valplast partials, a flexible denture base resin ideal for partial dentures and unilateral restorations.
Romak is a certified Valplast laboratory so contact us today for information about how Valplast can provide you with an affordable partial denture solution or read more about Valplast dentures here.
How to stop snoring
Snoring is caused by a partial closure of your airway during sleep, due to the muscles in your neck relaxing. Soft tissue then vibrates causing the snoring sound. Some people snore more than others for a number of reasons. Men tend to snore due to their greater upper body weight which means more soft tissue around the neck. If you are overweight you will also have more soft tissue around your neck increasing your chances of snoring. When we age our muscles become weaker and this leads to weaker throat muscles. And alcohol and sleeping tablets can cause additional relaxation of the muscles in the neck and throat.
Does snoring affect my health?
Snoring can lead to many problems:
- a lack of energy
- being less effective at work
- poor motivation
- daytime sleepiness
- tiredness when driving
- higher stress levels
- a lower sex drive
- morning headaches
- a worsening relationship with your partner
There is a solution to snoring and Romak advise using the best anti-snoring dental device on the market – Snorekil. It’s fully adjustable, low cost and comfortable to wear at night. Read more on our Snorekil page.