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The person you are caring for may have full or partial dentures. Just like teeth these also need to be brushed every day, twice a day. Dentures should be left out of the mouth overnight to allow the soft tissue to breathe if a denture is left in it can lead to denture stomatitis or oral thrush (show images).
When the dentures are not in the mouth they must be kept wet. Ideally in a denture pot filled with clean fresh water or salt water. Dentures can be left in cleaning agents for the time specified by the manufacturer but this is not a substitute for manually brushing. Ensure that the denture is well rinsed with clean water before replacing. When you are brushing dentures use a toothbrush or a denture brush and a non-abrasive toothpaste or a denture cream, try to do this over a bowl of water or a half-filled sink, this way if you drop them they will float and not shatter. To remove a denture slide your fingers along the outside edge (cheek side) to the back of the denture and push down firmly on both sides to break the suction seal. This should make the denture loose and you can then use your thumb and finger to remove the denture from the mouth.
If the person has top and bottom dentures remove the lower first. If a denture is lost you may want to use a fixative to give confidence and aid comfort. When applying a fixative put three pea-size blobs on the upper and two on the lower. Try to have both the denture and the mouth reasonable dry before you put the fixative on and hold it in place for 10 secs. Denture fixative can be difficult to remove and will require a denture brush and cold running water to wash it off, it can be difficult for a person with dementia to do.
If a denture is persistently loose and the person is in a stable condition, then consult your dentist. When a new denture is being made ask your dentist to add the patient's name into the dentures acrylic in case it gets misplaced. Loose dentures can pose a risk for someone who has progressing dementia and dysphasia problems.
