What Drinks To Avoid With Dentures
Table of Contents
- 1 Drinks That May Affect Denture Fit, Comfort, Look, and Longevity
- 2 Beverages Recommended For Denture Wearers
- 3 How To Keep Dentures Properly Cleaned
- 4 FAQs
- 4.1 Can You Drink Coffee With Dentures?
- 4.2 Can You Drink Coke With Dentures?
- 4.3 Can I Drink Alcohol With Dentures?
- 4.4 How Do I Remove Coffee Stains From Dentures?
- 4.5 Can I Drink Hot Beverages With Dentures?
- 4.6 Are There Any Beverages That Can Help Improve Oral Health For Denture Wearers?
- 4.7 Can I Use Straws To Drink With Dentures?
- 4.8 How Should I Clean My Dentures After Consuming Beverages?
- 4.9 Can I Drink Water Freely With Dentures?
- 5 Final Thoughts
For those who wear dentures, maintaining proper oral hygiene is essential to ensure a comfortable and healthy smile. While dentures restore the appearance and function of missing teeth, certain drinks can pose risks to their fit, comfort, and longevity. In this article, we will explore the drinks to avoid with dentures to preserve their quality and integrity.
Whether you are a new denture wearer or have been using them for years, understanding the impact of different drinks on your oral health is crucial. Some beverages may lead to discoloration, affect the denture materials, or cause discomfort while wearing them. By avoiding these drinks and making mindful choices, you can ensure that your dentures stay in optimal condition and provide the best possible fit, allowing you to savor the simple joys of everyday life without worry.
Let’s delve into the list of drinks that are best left off the menu for denture wearers.
Drinks That May Affect Denture Fit, Comfort, Look, and Longevity
Although false teeth allow you to eat and drink normally, there are a few drinks to avoid with dentures. They include acidic beverages, staining beverages, carbonated beverages, and alcoholic beverages.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these types of drinks and why drinking liquids with dentures may require some important considerations.
Acidic Beverages
Because dentures are typically made from acrylic material, acidic beverages can cause damage to false teeth over time. Acidic drinks to avoid with dentures include citric juices (orange, lemon), and sodas. If you do consume acidic beverages, the best thing to do as soon as possible is clean your dentures to prevent any damage from occurring.
Staining Beverages
Certain beverages can stain your dentures if they are consumed over a long period. These include coffee, tea, red wine, cranberry juice, or other liquids that are made from fruits or vegetables that have staining qualities.
To ensure that your false teeth stay white and bright, avoid drinking liquids with dentures that can cause staining.
Carbonated Beverages
The sugars often found in carbonated drinks can be harmful to your false teeth. When the sugars mix with bacteria in your mouth, they can convert into acids. The acids can interact with the material your dentures are made of causing damage by weakening the structure of the false teeth. This can lead to breaks, cracks, and other surface damage that can cause mouth irritations.
Alcoholic Beverages
Although you can safely drink alcoholic beverages with dentures, it is important to note that the alcohol can form plaque that will attach to natural and false teeth. The best way to avoid this from occurring is to either abstain from consuming alcoholic beverages or to drink in moderation and clean your dentures immediately after drinking.
Beverages Recommended For Denture Wearers
There are a few drinks that are beneficial to consume if you wear dentures. They include water, non-acidic or non-staining beverages, and dental-friendly beverages. Here is a closer look at each of these types of drinks.
Water
Water serves a couple of purposes for denture wearers. Not only can it be used to rinse your mouth to remove food particles and bacteria from dentures, but it will also keep you hydrated. Proper hydration keeps your mouth and gums moist and prevents skin irritations that can occur when dentures rub against dry skin and tissue.
Non-Acidic/Non-Staining Beverages
Herbal tea is an excellent choice of a non-acidic and non-staining beverage to consume. Milk is also gentle on false teeth. Smoothies offer you an option of a beverage that not only is safe on dentures but gives you control over what you mix into the drink.
Dental-Friendly Beverages
Milk and plant-based milk (provided it is fortified with calcium or fluoride) are good for your oral health. Not only will you get important nutrients into your body, but the calcium is good for your overall bone and dental health if you still have some of your natural teeth.
How To Keep Dentures Properly Cleaned
There are a few simple steps to follow for properly cleaning your dentures. They are as follows:
Step 1 – Rinse
Once you carefully remove dentures from your mouth, rinse them under warm running water. This removes loose food particles and bacteria.
Step 2 – Brush
With a full sink of water, carefully, and gently brush your dentures using a denture toothbrush or a soft-bristled brush and a denture cleaner or mild dish soap. The full sink is to prevent damage to your dentures if they slip out of your hands and drop into it. Line a towel on the edge of the sink to cushion your dentures if they fall there.
Step 3 – Rinse
After you have brushed your dentures, rinse them once more under warm running water to remove any residue from the brushing. You can also choose to soak your dentures in a denture-cleaning solution. If you do not have a cleaning solution, you can make one by mixing water or vinegar with baking soda. Rinse your dentures after soaking them if you choose that option.
Step 4 – Insert
Once your dentures have been cleaned and rinsed, they can be placed back into your mouth, and you can resume what you were doing.
See Your Dentist Regularly
Just like you would if you had a full mouth of natural teeth, it is still important to visit your dentist for regular checkups as a denture wearer. Your dentist will examine your false teeth and make adjustments if the fit is off in any way. Also, your oral health will be checked to ensure that your mouth, gums, tongue, and remaining teeth are still healthy.
FAQs
Can You Drink Coffee With Dentures?
Yes, drinking coffee is possible with dentures but you should keep a few things in mind. For example, if you just received your false teeth, you should give your mouth a chance to heal properly before you attempt to consume hot liquids.
Because dentures are usually made from materials that can be damaged by extreme temperatures, it is best to let coffee or tea cool down slightly before drinking. This reduces the possibility of your dentures warping.
Coffee can also stain teeth, and although dentures are not as prone to staining, it is still a good idea to rinse your mouth with water after drinking any liquid that could stain.
As for hot coffee and denture adhesive, be aware that hot coffee may dissolve or remove some adhesive causing your dentures to become loose.
Can You Drink Coke With Dentures?
Carbonated drinks such as Coke are fine to drink with dentures. However, there are a few things to be mindful of.
The sugar content of the soft drink may be harmful to the surface of your dentures so cleaning them after enjoying a carbonated drink is wise. Also, as carbonated drinks contain sugar, they can convert to acid with bacteria in your mouth which can damage dentures. Drinking drinks like Coke and other carbonated drinks in moderation will protect the condition of your dentures reducing the risk of damage.
Can I Drink Alcohol With Dentures?
You can drink alcohol with dentures. Drinks with alcohol content can produce plaque on dentures or become acidic with mouth bacteria so it is important to properly clean your false teeth after consuming alcoholic drinks.
Alcohol can also change how your dentures fit in your mouth by affecting the soft tissue in and around your gums and palate. If your dentures do not fit properly over time, see your dentist for adjustments.
How Do I Remove Coffee Stains From Dentures?
You can easily remove coffee stains from dentures by following these simple steps:
Step 1 – Rinse
As soon as you have completed drinking coffee, rinse your dentures under warm running water to remove coffee residue.
Step 2 – Brush
With a denture brush or soft-bristled toothbrush, brush your dentures. Use a denture toothpaste or mild dish soap. Do not use regular toothpaste as the abrasives they contain can damage your dentures.
Step 3 – Soak
If possible, soak your dentures in either a denture cleaner or a combination of water or vinegar, and baking soda. Or soak your dentures in water with an effervescent denture cleaning tablet. Soak your dentures for no longer than 20 minutes.
Step 4 – Rinse
After your dentures have soaked, remove them from the solution and rinse once more under warm running water. Now you can put them back in your mouth and resume your day.
Can I Drink Hot Beverages With Dentures?
You can drink hot beverages with dentures provided you take some precautions.
Because dentures are sensitive to extreme heat, you should allow hot beverages to cool down a little to prevent potential warping. You can help control the temperature in your mouth by sipping rather than gulping and using a straw may make consuming hot liquids easier with dentures.
Also, rinsing your mouth with water after drinking something hot will help to neutralize any residual acidity or reduce the formation of stains.
Are There Any Beverages That Can Help Improve Oral Health For Denture Wearers?
Many beverages can improve oral health. They include the following:
· Water: This is the best beverage for oral health. In addition to providing hydration, water washes away bacteria and food particles, lowering the risk of plaque forming.
· Sugar-Free/Non-Acidic Drinks – To reduce the risk of tooth decay and erosion, choose sugar-free or non-acidic drinks. Acidic beverages can damage the material dentures are made from.
· Green Tea – One effective way to reduce the bacteria in your mouth is to drink green tea. This beverage contains antioxidants and polyphenols that help decrease the odds of developing oral infections.
· Milk/Fortified Plant-based Milk – Both of these types of drinks are good for your oral health as they contain calcium.
· Herbal Teas – If you suffer from occasional minor gum or mouth irritations, some herbal teas can help reduce the symptoms. Chamomile and peppermint tea are good choices for this.
· Coconut Water – Because coconut water is a natural hydrator, it can assist with maintaining moisture levels in your mouth.
· Vegetable Juices – Vegetable juices that are low in sugar contain essential vitamins and nutrients that can improve oral health.
· Smoothies – Smoothies are an effective way to add vitamins and nutrients to your diet and help with oral health. Plus, you are in control of the ingredients you put into them.
Can I Use Straws To Drink With Dentures?
Drinking with a straw when you have dentures can provide you with many benefits. For example, a straw allows you to slowly sip a beverage if the temperature of that liquid is extreme. The straw permits you to consume the drink without it directly coming in contact with denture material that may be damaged from high temperatures.
Drinking with a straw is also more comfortable for many denture wearers. There is less likelihood of dentures dislodging when drinking through a straw and the straw helps you to direct liquid to the back of your mouth reducing the risk of staining your dentures.
How Should I Clean My Dentures After Consuming Beverages?
There are a few simple steps you can follow to properly clean dentures after you have consumed beverages. They include the following:
Rinse
It is important to rinse your dentures under warm running water to remove any beverage residue or food particles.
Brush
With a soft-bristled toothbrush or a denture brush, thoroughly brush your dentures with either denture cleaner or mild dish soap. Or soak them in a denture cleaning solution or a mixture that combines water or vinegar with baking soda.
Rinse
Place the dentures under warm running water to remove any debris, then reinsert them into your mouth.
Can I Drink Water Freely With Dentures?
Drinking water with dentures is a good idea as it will keep you properly hydrated. Water will also keep your mouth moist, help with digestion, and washes away bacteria and food particles.
Final Thoughts
Being mindful of the beverages we consume is crucial for denture wearers to maintain optimal oral health and the longevity of their dentures. By avoiding drinks that can cause damage or discomfort, we can ensure a more comfortable and enjoyable denture-wearing experience. Remember to try to avoid acidic beverages like citrus juices and sodas, as well as staining drinks such as coffee, tea, and red wine, which can impact the appearance of dentures over time.
Instead, opt for denture-friendly alternatives like water, herbal tea, or milk, which not only provide hydration but also promote better oral health. Keeping dentures clean and soaking them overnight in a denture-specific solution will further contribute to their longevity and freshness. Regular dental checkups are essential for professional evaluation and adjustments, ensuring that your dentures continue to fit comfortably and function effectively.
By making informed choices about the drinks to avoid with dentures, we can safeguard our dentures and maintain a confident smile. Remember to follow proper denture care habits and seek advice from dental professionals when needed.
