If you care for someone who wears dentures — whether a parent, spouse, or someone in your professional care — this guide will help you support their denture hygiene and recognise when professional help is needed.
Daily Denture Care Routine
Help the person in your care with the following daily routine:
Morning
Remove the dentures from their overnight soak. Rinse under cool running water. Gently brush with a soft denture brush and denture cleaner (not regular toothpaste). Place carefully in the mouth. Alternatively, assist the person to do this themselves where possible — maintaining independence with personal care is important.
After Meals
Rinse the dentures under cool water after each meal if possible. This removes food debris and reduces the risk of irritation.
Evening
Remove dentures and place in a sealed container with cold water or a denture soaking solution. Label the container clearly if caring for someone in a care home setting — dentures go missing surprisingly often in shared accommodation.
Oral Health Checks
When helping someone remove their dentures, take a moment to look at their gums and mouth. Contact a dental professional if you notice:
- Red or white patches anywhere in the mouth
- Persistent sore areas or ulcers
- Signs of denture stomatitis (red, inflamed tissue under the denture)
- Dentures that appear to fit very poorly
When to Contact Us
If the person in your care has dentures that are broken, very loose, or causing obvious discomfort, please get in touch. We welcome patients who need extra support, and we’ll do everything we can to make the appointment as comfortable as possible.
Call 01793 540128 (24/7) or contact us online.
Clearly label the denture storage container with the person’s name. Keep dentures in a consistent, secure location. Consider dental marking — a small label embedded in the denture material that identifies the owner.
Key signs include: the person struggling to eat, loose dentures that move visibly, sore areas in the mouth that keep recurring, very old dentures (7+ years), or dentures that have been repaired multiple times.
We aim to make our clinic as accessible as possible. Please call ahead on 01793 540128 to discuss any specific requirements and we will do our best to accommodate them.
