Treating denture breath: One cause of halitosis can be inadequately cleaned false teeth.
Can dentures cause bad breath?
Dentures absolutely can be the source of a person's breath problems. The exact same type of bacteria and debris that accumulates on natural teeth and oral soft tissues will accumulate on a person's dentures too. This includes those types of bacteria that produce the volatile sulfur compounds that are responsible for causing bad breath.
The cure for denture breath is to clean your false teeth more thoroughly.
The solution to those breath problems caused by dentures is simple enough, at least in theory. The bacteria that cause the malodor must be removed. Towards that goal, here are some considerations to keep in mind.
(While the solution to denture breath will involve cleaning up your dentures, don't forget that these same odiferous bacteria will be harbored in other regions in your mouth. Almost certainly
effective tongue cleaning will be required before your case of bad breath will resolve.)
1) Many people simply don't remove and cleanse their dentures often enough.
The space between a denture and the gum tissue it rests on is an ideal location for bacterial growth. This cozy space is relatively protected from the oral environment. At the same time, microscopic food particles easily enter this area and provide a continuing source of nourishment for the halitosis-producing bacteria that live there.
As a way of perpetually disrupting the growth of the bacterial colony that inhabits this space, dentures should always be removed after every meal for cleaning. The denture should be brushed both inside and out. Any denture adhesive that is present should be removed and replaced with new. A person's gum tissue should be brushed with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
2) Denture brushing on its own is typically not effective.
The plastic that is used to fabricate dentures is, on a microscopic basis, quite porous. As a result, a myriad of nooks and crannies exist in which the bacteria that cause bad breath can live. While all denture cleaning activities should start with a thorough brushing, the diameter of any brush's bristles will be far greater in size than the microscopic holes in which the offending bacteria live.
a) Consider using an ultrasonic denture cleaning unit.
One solution to this problem is to incorporate the use of an ultrasonic cleaning unit into a person's denture cleaning regimen. The vibrating action of an ultrasonic unit provides additional mechanical cleansing. Denture brushing in combination with ultrasonic cleaning is significantly more effective than just brushing alone.
b) Dentures need to be chemical cleansed and disinfected.
After cleaning a denture mechanically (brushing, ultrasonic cleaning), it should be cleansed and disinfected chemically. Once again, a great many of the bacteria that create denture breath problems reside in the microscopic porosities of a denture's surface. Only a chemical approach can be totally effective against them. It seems most unlikely that anyone's breath problems could be resolved without regularly chemically cleansing their denture.
There are a number of different denture cleaning solutions that can be used to disinfect dentures. These include commercial effervescent denture cleaners as well as homemade vinegar or bleach-based soaks.
How can you tell if your breath problem is caused by your dentures?
There is a simply test that you can perform to find out if your dentures are playing a major role in the creation of your halitosis. Take your dentures out of your mouth and then put them in a plastic bag. After several minutes, take a sniff from the bag. If things don't smell good, your dentures are at least a part of your breath problems.
