Denture Home Care Instructions

Patient: ____________________ Caregiver: ____________________

Dentures IN at breakfast. Dentures OUT at bedtime. Soak every night.

Tape this sheet to the bathroom mirror. Keep the denture cup, denture brush, Polident tablets, and Fixodent together in one basket by the sink.

Morning (before breakfast) — checklist

• Take the dentures out of the Polident soak.
• Rinse them well under cool running water until there is no fizz, no smell, and no slippery feel.
• Rinse your mouth with water. Gently brush your gums, tongue, and roof of your mouth with a soft toothbrush. No toothpaste needed.
• Dry the dentures with a clean towel.
• Apply Fixodent (see the Fixodent steps).
• Put the dentures in. Bite down gently for 30 seconds. Wait 5 minutes before eating or drinking.
• Rinse the denture cup and leave it upside down to dry.

During the day

• After meals, swish and spit with plain water. If you can, take the dentures out and rinse them, then put them back.
• Sip water often. A dry mouth makes dentures slip and rub.
• If the dentures feel loose, do not add more Fixodent on top of the old layer. Take them out, rinse, dry, and reapply a fresh small amount.
• If a spot is sore, take the dentures out and leave them out until the sore spot is checked. Call the office.

Night (bedtime) — checklist

• Fill the sink halfway with water, or lay a folded towel in the bottom, so a dropped denture will not break.
• Take the dentures out. Use your thumbs to rock the lower one. For the upper, press up gently on the back edge with your thumb to break the seal.
• Rinse away food and loose Fixodent under cool running water.
• Brush every surface with the denture brush and a drop of liquid hand soap or dish soap. No toothpaste; it scratches the plastic.
• Peel or wipe off leftover Fixodent. Warm (not hot) water and the brush work best.
• Clean leftover Fixodent off your gums with a warm wet washcloth or soft toothbrush. Rinse your mouth.
• Put the dentures in the cup and start the Polident soak.
• Dentures stay OUT all night. Your gums need at least 6 to 8 hours of rest every day.

How to use Fixodent

Use the zinc-free Fixodent. Less is better. Three small dabs is a full dose.

1. Start with a clean, completely dry denture. Adhesive will not stick to a wet denture.
2. Upper denture: squeeze 3 pea-sized dabs, one in the center and one on each side, about a thumb's width in from the edge. Do not spread it with your finger.
3. Lower denture: squeeze 3 small dabs along the groove, spaced out, or one thin strip no thicker than a pencil lead.
4. Rinse your mouth with water so your gums are moist.
5. Press the denture in place. Hold firmly or bite down gently for 30 seconds.
6. Wait 5 minutes before eating or drinking.
7. Apply once a day only, in the morning. Do not re-dab during the day without first removing and cleaning the denture.

Too much Fixodent is the most common mistake. If adhesive squeezes out from under the denture or you can taste it, you used too much. One 2.4 oz tube should last 7 to 8 weeks. If it runs out in 2 or 3 weeks, too much is being used, or the dentures no longer fit and need to be checked.

How to use Polident

Use Polident Overnight tablets: one tablet, in at bedtime, out in the morning.

1. Brush the dentures first. Polident does not replace brushing.
2. Fill the denture cup with enough warm tap water to cover the dentures. Never hot water; hot water warps dentures.
3. Drop in one tablet. Put the dentures in right away while it fizzes.
4. Leave the dentures in the solution overnight.
5. In the morning, brush them once with the denture brush dipped in the solution.
6. Rinse the dentures thoroughly under running water before putting them in your mouth.
7. Pour out the solution and rinse the cup.

Never put a tablet in your mouth. Never drink or gargle the solution. Keep tablets in their foil, away from children and pets. If you only have Polident 3-Minute tablets, soak at least 3 minutes, then store the dentures in plain water for the rest of the night. Dentures left dry overnight can warp.

Do and don't

Making it easy to remember and easy to do

For memory

• Tie denture care to things that already happen: dentures in when breakfast comes, out when the TV goes off or bedtime pills are taken.
• Set two phone alarms: "DENTURES IN" and "DENTURES OUT".
• Keep a copy of the Morning and Night checklists at eye level above the sink.
• Keep only one denture cup in one spot.
• If a night soak is forgotten, do it the next night, and never skip two nights in a row.

For hands that tire or shake

• Sit at the sink, or use a table with a bowl of water.
• Wrap the brush handle with a foam hair curler or bike grip.
• Hold the denture in a washcloth.
• Ask about adhesive strips (Fixodent or Sea-Bond) if squeezing the tube is hard.
• Do denture care at the time of day when your hands work best.

For dry mouth (common with many medications)

• Keep a water bottle within reach.
• Sugar-free gum or lozenges, or a saliva substitute spray, help dentures sit better.
• Dry mouth is also why Fixodent may seem to stop working by afternoon — moist gums, not more adhesive, fix this.

Caregiver check (once a week) — checklist

• Dentures are out of the mouth at bedtime and in the Polident soak.
• Denture surfaces are smooth and clean, no white crust, pink film, or stuck adhesive.
• Gums and roof of the mouth are pink, with no red patches, white patches, or sores.
• No bad smell from the dentures or the mouth.
• Fixodent tube is going down slowly (one tube every 7 to 8 weeks).
• Polident tablets are stocked for the week ahead.
• Patient is eating normally and not avoiding foods because dentures hurt or slip.

Call Dental at Home if

• A sore spot or ulcer under the denture does not heal in 3 days.
• Dentures feel loose and Fixodent no longer holds them. Loose dentures need a reline or adjustment, not more adhesive.
• The denture cracks, chips, or a tooth comes off. Do not glue it; keep the pieces.
• White patches, redness, or burning on the gums or roof of the mouth.
• Swallowing or chewing becomes harder than it was.
• A metal clasp bends or breaks.

Dental at Home · Dr. Sunny Nath, DDS · 516-269-1393 · We come to you.