Taking care of false teeth: Homemade denture soaks and cleaners.

Using a bleach solution (sodium hypochlorite) to clean false teeth.

Household bleach (Chlorox) can play a role in the care of false teeth, both from a standpoint of cleaning and disinfection. Diluted bleach solution is the most commonly used homemade denture cleaner.

A soaking solution composed of one part bleach to ten parts tap water has been shown to kill microorganisms harbored on the surface of dentures. It will also help to remove denture discoloration and staining. A soaking duration of twenty to thirty minutes is usually recommended.

Bleaching solution will not remove tartar that has accumulated on false teeth. However, the addition of one teaspoon of Calgon water softener (Calgon the calcium-chelating agent, not Calgon the soap or bath oil) per glassful of one to ten bleach to tap water solution does make an effective disinfecting and tartar-removing soak.

Precautions to keep in mind when using bleach as a part of your denture care.

A denture must be thoroughly rinsed off after soaking. There is a possibility that any residual bleach remaining on the denture will irritate or damage gum tissue.
Using a bleach solution, especially when used over the long-term, may cause pink denture plastic to lighten. Not all people will find this change objectionable. In many cases the degree to which this effect takes place may not be readily noticeable.
The metallic components of partial dentures may corrode if a bleach solution is used as a denture soak. This is especially likely in those cases where the duration of the soaking is more than ten minutes per day.

Using a vinegar solution (acetic acid solution) to clean dentures.

Vinegar can be used to create a denture cleaning solution. It has been demonstrated to be effective in killing microorganisms that reside on the surface of dentures, however, less so than the bleaching solution described above. A cleaning solution is created by mixing vinegar with an equal amount of water. A soaking period of twenty to thirty minutes has been recommended.

The acid nature of vinegar makes it an effective way to remove tartar build up that has accumulated on false teeth. In some cases the vinegar will dissolve away all of the tartar. In those cases where it doesn't, it will at least create a softening effect that makes it possible that some or all of the tartar can be brushed away. Repeated soaking should allow you to reach a point where the tartar has been cleansed off of your false teeth.

Precautions to keep in mind when using vinegar (acetic acid) as a part of your denture care.

Most dentists will not recommend the use of vinegar (at least not long term soaks) with partial dentures because it can be corrosive to the metal component of the appliance.

Consider using a multi-solution denture cleaning and disinfecting process.

Wendt et al. (1988) compared a number of different denture decontamination processes and came to the conclusion that the best results were obtained when a combination of them were used in a series. The following is not precisely the regimen that that study described but each step is similar in nature.

A bleach solution (as described above) combined with enzymatic dishwasher soap (Cascade).
A vinegar solution (as described above).
A sodium bicarbonate solution (one teaspoon of baking soda to eight ounces of water).

While it is not expected that an individual would take the time and effort to perform this routine daily, one might choose to do so on selected days or possibly continually rotate through each of these cleaning solutions, a different one each day.

Test before you soak: Precautions to keep in mind before using any type of denture cleaning solution.

Homemade denture cleaning solution. Due to the variety of denture soaking solutions that are available and the number of different dental materials that exist, making a determination about what type of soak is suitable for your false teeth can be an issue of at least some concern. In all cases, before you choose a soaking solution you should ask your dentist for their recommendation so you know that it is an appropriate choice.

Here are some of the issues of which we are aware. You may want to quiz your dentist about them when you inquire about the denture cleaner you plant to use.

Always run test trials for any new denture cleansing solution.: Acrylic resins (the plastics used in denture construction) are used to make false teeth in part because they don't typically absorb tastes and flavors. This makes it unlikely that a complication associated with the use of a solution that you find to be bad tasting (i.e. bleach, vinegar) will present itself. However, because it is such a simple step to take, you should perform some short-term trial soaking in the solution you have chosen just to make sure.
Some denture cleansers might damage soft denture lining materials (temporary or permanent).: There are a couple of different types of soft or resilient plastics that can be used either in denture construction or as a treatment material that is placed into a denture. Some of these materials are intended for indefinite (permanent) use, others are strictly temporary.
It is possible that some soft denture materials may become damaged by or absorb the taste of some types of denture cleaning solutions. In all cases, you should ask your dentist for specific recommendations about what type of cleaner solution is appropriate for use with the materials found in your denture.
Denture cleansing solutions may corrode the metal portions of false teeth.: Some false teeth have a metal component. It is possible that oxidizing agents contained in a denture cleaner, either homemade or commercial, may corrode these metal parts. As an example, it has been reported that soaking metal-containing dentures for more than ten minutes per day in the bleach solution we discuss on this page will produce metal staining. Some commercial products state this precaution on their packaging. Always ask your dentist for a recommendation regarding which type of cleaning solution is appropriate for use with the denture they have made for you.

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