Dentures need to be cleaned every morning and every evening. It is best to clean them over a sink full of water or a towel as this can prevent the denture from breaking if it slips out of your hands. Remove debris by brushing with a denture brush. Paste is not required, but if you choose to use it: do NOT use toothpaste, instead use a denturepaste or baking soda.
Dentures also need to be rinsed after each meal. No matter how well a denture may fit, some food will get underneath the denture as you eat. If it is left there, it can irritate the tissue. So after each meal, remove the denture, rinse out your mouth, and then rinse the denture under running water. Do NOT rinse the denture in very hot or boiling water as this may cause distortion of the denture; instead use warm to cool water.
Dentures should always be in one of two places: your mouth or a denture bath. The denture bath need only be filled with water or you can use a denture-soaking solution (i.e. Polident or Efferdent). Also, on occasion, you may use a vinegar solution (1 tsp vinegar in a cup of water) to help dissolve tartar.
In addition to cleaning your dentures, it is important to continue to care for you gums and tongue. It is not necessary to use toothpaste, but simply brush the gums and tongue with a soft toothbrush each night. Every day it is important to remove the dentures in order to allow the gum tissues time to rest. This can be done overnight or for a 3-4 hour period during the day.
What to Expect with New Dentures

Dentures are very different from your natural teeth; unlike your teeth, dentures are not anchored in bone, but instead rest on top of mobile tissue. This means that the denture, especially the lower denture, can and will move in your mouth when you eat and when you speak. Eating with your dentures will take some getting used, so to help do the following:

• Start with soft, easy to chew foods such as – fish, cheese, eggs, chopped meat, cooked vegetables, or ice cream
• Take small bites
• Chew on both sides of your mouth at the same time; this helps to stabilize the denture.
• Biting into food is difficult with dentures and will tend to dislodge the upper denture. Therefore, foods like apples and corn on the cob should be sliced before eating.
• Avoid very hot foods and drinks to prevent burns as dentures decrease temperature sensation.