Is It Safe to Sleep With My Dentures In?

While dentures have definitely seen improvements over the years, making them more comfortable and sturdier to wear, one thing certainly hasn’t changed: you still can’t sleep while wearing them! Unless wearing implant-retained dentures, here are some reasons as to why it’s always recommended to store your dentures away each night before sleeping:

Shorter denture lifespan

It’s recommended to remove your dentures for at least 6 hours each day, and it makes the most sense to do this while you’re sleeping. Your mouth, by nature, has an acidic environment, and if your dentures are exposed to it for too long without any break, this could shorten their lifespan. By putting them in water or denture cleaning solution each night, this also prevents your dentures from drying out, significantly helping prevent any long-term damage.

Sore gums

Your dentures may be custom-fitted to your mouth but keep in mind that they still aren’t part of your natural body. This means you need to give your gums a chance to rest! If you continue to wear them throughout the night, there will be consistent pressure placed on your jaw bone and gums, eventually leading to a higher risk of you developing sore gums.

Inflammation

While rare, wearing dentures without a break can also give way to inflammation in your mouth. If you don’t store and clean your dentures properly each night, there is potential for a significant amount of bacteria to buildup. This buildup can eventually contribute to sores and inflammation, making the time you put in each night to clean and store away your dentures all the more important. So is it safe to sleep with your dentures in? The answer is no. Gently brushing and storing your dentures away overnight is quite important to keep them clean and to give your mouth some much needed rest. Check out our article here on how to store your dentures overnight or give our dentists a call at Glenferrie Dental if you need further assistance!

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