Dentures should not be cleaned in the same way as natural teeth – toothpaste can be abrasive and wear down the false teeth and gums on dentures.
Instead a special denture brush should be used to clean dentures daily with soap and warm water – ideally use washing up liquid.
Daily cleaning of dentures
Dentures should be rinsed under the tap after eating, and cleaned with a denture brush, soap and tap water before going to bed.
Dentures should not be worn overnight to avoid denture related oral thrush. Instead dentures should be placed into a denture pot (or cup) of water after cleaning at bedtime.
Ultrasonic cleaning of dentures
If you struggle to clean your denture with a denture brush then an alternative method would be to soak it an ultrasonic cleaner for 5-10 minutes, until visibly clean.
Disinfecting your dentures
For disinfection (e.g. after having oral thrush) dentures can be soaked in a hypochlorite based cleaner or a chlorhexidine mouthwash:
- If using a hypochlorite based cleaner (e.g. Milton Sterilising fluid diluted with 4 parts water):
- All-plastic dentures should be soaked for 15 minutes
- Dentures with metal parts should only be soaked for 10 minutes
- If using a chlorhexidine mouthwash then soak for at least 15 minutes
Acid based cleaners (such as Steradent) should not be used for dentures with metal parts.
Shopping List
You can visit our shopping list for denture care to get everything you need to care for your dentures.
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- How to register with an NHS dentist
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