True enough, dentures are highly effective as replacement teeth. You can trust them to help you eat, speak, and even smile. That said, you shouldn’t wear these restorations every hour of every day. You’ll suffer from some major oral health problems otherwise. Luckily, your local Billerica dentist is here to address the obvious question: “How many hours can you wear dentures?” To learn the answer, read this summary of the proper denture wear time and the dangers of overusing your new teeth.
What’s the Proper Wear Time for Dentures?
Truthfully, dentures aren’t designed to be worn all the time. Qualified dentists recommend that you only wear them during daylight hours. As such, you should store them overnight in a cleaning solution.
The main reason for this limit is simple: your mouth needs time to rest. Wearing dentures strains your oral tissues, meaning they need six-to-eight hours of daily recovery time. Also, soaking the dentures overnight ensures they’re clean for the next day of use.
What Happens If You Don’t Remove Dentures?
If you ignore the limit and wear dentures all the time, you’ll suffer various health problems. The most common of these include:
Denture Stomatitis
When continually covered by dentures, your mouth tissues will get irritated. They could then suffer from denture stomatitis, a condition caused by yeast and bacteria buildup.
Generally, denture stomatitis is a very unpleasant condition. It inflames your mouth tissues until they suffer from a painful burning sensation. If that inflammation becomes chronic, it’ll also weaken and suppress your immune system. From there, you’d struggle even to wear dentures.
Respiratory Problems
Overusing dentures doesn’t just cause mouth problems; it also causes respiratory issues.
By wearing dentures overnight, you expose your throat to bacteria. You’re then more likely to develop colds, respiratory infections, and pneumonia. That last illness is especially troublesome, as it can be very severe. If you aren’t careful, a bad case of pneumonia can lead to death.
Jawbone Loss
Remember, dentures press on your gum tissue and the bony ridges supporting them. Doing so allows them to stay secure and stable. However, the tissue and ridges usually recover when you store the dentures overnight. If you always wear the prosthetics, though, the constant pressure will cause issues.
In particular, constant denture pressure speeds up bone resorption. This process will greatly reduce your jawbone density if left unchecked. With sped-up bone resorption, it’ll ultimately deprive your dentures of the support they need to function.
As you can see, knowing how many hours you can wear dentures is crucial. Therefore, remember the facts above to ensure your new teeth last long and work well.
About the Practice
Grateful Dentists is based in Billerica, MA. Led by Drs. Danzig and Snook, our practice strives to help each patient get the best oral care possible. To that end, we offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services, as well as emergency dental work. This background means our office provides exceptional dentures for those needing new teeth. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (978)-667-2741.