Why You Should Never Sleep Wearing Your Dentures
Modern dentures have improved leaps over bounds compared to their predecessors. However, one thing hasn’t changed: You still can’t sleep with them, unless you have implant dentures.
Here are a few reasons why it is NEVER recommended to sleep while wearing your dentures:
It could lead to Pneumonia
A study published by NCBI reported that wearing dentures at night makes it difficult to swallow saliva during sleep, which creates a breeding ground for bacteria in the mouth. When this built-up saliva is eventually swallowed, it can make its way into the lungs and cause pneumonia.
Wearing dentures at night also makes it difficult to practice good oral hygiene habits, which has also been linked to the development of pneumonia – again, due to bacteria build-up.
You could shorten the life of your dentures
Just like you, your dentures need rest. Remove your dentures for at least 6 hours a day – the hours when you’re sleeping are the most practical.
The environment inside the mouth is very acidic, so the longer your dentures are exposed to it, the shorter their life becomes. Dentures also need to be cleaned properly so they can be free from all the bacteria that breeds in the mouth. Put them in water or a cleaning solution at night to clean them and ensure that they are sanitized in the morning when you are ready to wear them.
This also prevents them from drying out, which can significantly affect your denture’s life span.
You may experience sore gums
Although your dentures may fit perfectly in your mouth, you must always remember that dentures aren’t a natural part of your body.
If you wear them at night, you risk developing sore gums as they will constantly put pressure on your gums and jaw bone.
If you have the habit of grinding your teeth while sleeping, the damage to your mouth and dentures could be even worse.
It’s best to remove them at night and give your gums a chance to rest, denture-free.
You may get inflammation
Although rare, wearing dentures can cause inflammation in the mouth, also known as stomatitis.
Since wearing dentures results in a lot of bacteria buildup in the mouth, it could contribute to canker sores and ulcers in the mouth and cheeks, causing extreme inflammation. The effects can last for 5 to 10 days and can also recur anytime.
It’s important to follow the care instructions of your denturist to practice good oral hygiene and extend the life of your dentures. Remove them every night, and if you have questions about how you should be taking care of your dentures, contact us for a free consultation.
We are one of leading denturists in Everett, WA and provide a comprehensive range of dentures, including full dentures, partial dentures, flexible partial dentures and implant dentures. We have denture solutions for every oral health need – and we’re ready to find one for you, too