10 Easy Home Remedies to Whiten Dentures

Every one of us wants to flaunt that million dollar smile that looks extremely pleasing.

Some people, mostly those above the age of 60 tend to lose their original teeth and so the most common option is to opt for a set of false dentures.

However, dentures need to be well maintained or else they will start to appear yellow in a matter of a few days.

Yellow looking stained dentures look indeed very ugly and sometimes even particles of food get stuck in them adding up to the trouble.

Thus, it is very important that you take good care of your dentures so that they remain sparkling white.

If you want to know how to whiten dentures easily at home, then give this write up a good read ahead. Let’s find out how!

Home Remedies to Whiten Dentures

1. Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is known to be very effective in cleaning dentures. Plus, this product is easily available at all pharmacy stores. You can also get them at grocery stores.

This is a wonderful home remedy to clean your dentures and turn them pearly white in color.

All you need to do is take off your dentures and then coat it with hydrogen peroxide and rub it gently using your hands.

Opt for wearing gloves on your hands. Another option is to use a toothbrush to do the cleaning.

This product contains natural abrasive particles that are extremely effective in removing the food particles stuck in it and cleans the stains.

2. Denture cleaning bleach

The market is flooded with many varieties of bleaches that are meant for cleaning stained dentures. This kind of bleach is mild in nature and so it is a good way to clean your dentures easily at home.

The best way is to mix one teaspoon of denture cleaning bleach with one glass of water and then immerse your dentures in the water for about fifteen minutes.

Take out the dentures and clean it gently with a toothbrush. All the stains will be removed and the food particles will also come off.

3. Baking soda

A magical remedy indeed when it comes to cleaning dentures. Baking soda is something that is found in every kitchen and in case your kitchen does not have it, then you can rush to your nearest general store or grocery store and get some baking soda.

Not only this product cleans dentures, but it is also very good for deodorizing dentures. It also eliminates particles of food if present within the dentures.

This is, in fact, the most common method used by most people all over the world, mainly because baking soda is one of those items that can be availed very easily and that too at a reasonable price.

 

4. White vinegar

Another remedy from your kitchen counters, white vinegar is also very effectual in cleansing your dentures. It is true that germs and also plaque can build up on your dentures.

Thus, it is of utmost importance to get your dentures sanitized on a regular basis.

Bacteria may also be present in the dentures and vinegar is a very good option when it comes to killing bacteria.

What you need to do is soak your dentures in white vinegar for an overnight period of time.

The next morning, take the dentures out, and brush off nicely. This will excellently clear away all the tartar, food particles, plaque and all kinds of dirty stains.

Doing this regime every week will be a very good practice to keep your dentures sparkling white and free from all kinds of unwanted stains, dirt and harmful elements.

5. Salt

This is a very old practice of cleaning teeth and it also works effectively for cleaning dentures. Why not salt is a very good bleaching agent.

Opt for dabbing your toothbrush in some salt and brush your dentures with it. It will be better if you take off your dentures for the cleaning process.

This will ensure that the cleaning is done in the best way possible.

Another method is to mix one tablespoon of salt in one glass of warm water and then immerse your dentures in it and leave it overnight. The next morning you can use a tooth brush in the cleaning process.

This is a much better option as it ensures thorough cleaning of the dentures.

As it is if you look at the ingredient content of many herbal based tooth pastes then you will see that most of them contain salt. Thus, salt in its plain form can be used for cleaning dentures.

6. Flossing

Your dentures can be cleaned with the help of a thread. Dentists have always suggested flossing as a great way of cleaning teeth; so what if you use dentures, you can apply the same method here as well.

You can floss your dentures regularly while you have them on or you can also take them off and floss them.

7. Mouthwash soak

Mouthwash can contribute towards a refreshing cleanse and kill bacteria at the same time.

Soak the false teeth for around 30 minutes in mix of ½ warm water and ½ mouthwash.

Rinse out after soaking. It can be followed up with a mouthwash gargle to freshen the breath.

8. Lemon juice soak

Lemon has bleaching and stain removal properties, to the benefit of dentures. Juice a lemon into a cup of warm water.

Soak the dentures in the mix for not more than 30 minutes. Rinse–off in cold water any lasting lemon from the dentures.

They must not overstay their time in this mix as lemon has an erosive effect that can do damage.

9. Cleaning tablet soak

Cleaning tablets curb the growth of microbes and can effectively remove stains.

They contain citric acid, soda bicarbonate etc. Add 1 – 2 tablets to a glass of warm water. After the mix fizzes, immerse the dentures for a minimum of 3 minutes.

Follow up by a gentle brush and rinse.

10. Toothpaste – baking soda wrap

Another way to clean dentures is in an aluminum foil wrap of toothpaste and baking soda.

Spread and mix the baking soda and toothpaste on to an aluminum foil.

Wash the dentures and wrap the foil around them. Leave it wrapped for around 3 hours. After which brush the dentures off the mix and rinse with hot water.

Precautions to keep dentures clean

1. Brushing

With dentures brushing is an important step in the direction of maintaining a hygienic environment.

Brushing gets rid of built-up plaque through a scrubbing mechanism, which also preps the dentures for a successful cleansing soak.

For best brushing practices, the technique and the tools are important.

Technique

Dentures should be taken out of the mouth, preferably after every meal to brush the tongue and palate in order to clean and increase blood circulation.

People who use adhesives to align the dentures in place should use dental wipes after taking them out.

Using a denture brush, scrub gently with a paste or liquid soap.

Rinse out the dentures with warm or cold water but not very hot water, which might change the shape of the denture.

After cleaning the dentures, the insides of the mouth and tongue have to be tended to with a soft brush.

If a few natural teeth still exist, they should be included in a brushing and flossing routine.

The insides of the mouth can be cleaned with a cloth moistened in warm salt-water.

It is important to reach the areas where the dentures rest, tongue, lips, inside cheeks, and the top portion of the mouth.

At night, it is advisable to wear the dentures or soak them in a cleansing solution, as dentures need to remain moist all the time to maintain their shape.

Tools

False teeth are fragile and a regular toothbrush and toothpaste could cause scratches and stains.

Most denture brushes are dual-purpose with two sets of soft bristles. One set of bristles cleans the surfaces. The second set of angled bristles is appropriate for partial fixtures.

Ultrasonic cleansers for dentures are useful for people who are less skillful in cleaning hidden areas. They are reasonable and a cost-effective tip would be to use a liquid soap instead of buying a commercial cleaning solution.

Regular toothpaste will be too rough and have an abrasive action damaging the dentures. A mild, minty toothpaste suitable for dentures with antibacterial elements would act as a refreshing cleanser.

To prevent dentures from falling and breaking, hold the dentures over a dish filled with water and cover the countertop with a towel.

Contents of a soak

Check the contents of a solution used to soak dentures as some ingredients might cause an allergic reaction.

Contents in cleaning tablets, detergents and acidic contents in vinegar could have adverse effects.

It’s best to dilute most solutions with warm water and a thorough rinse out after soaking is very important.

In case of an allergic reaction, contacting the dentist is important.

Dentist visits

It is important to inform the dentist about routines and products used as part of maintenance. Dentist visits as recommended, or at least once a year even if everything feels good will prove worthwhile.

Summary

Cleaning dentures are essential but not necessarily a tough task.

There are several simple home remedies which can help cleaning and making your dentures white and sparkling such as flossing, using baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, etc.