One of the perks of wearing a mask all the time is that it helps us become more aware of our own breath and whether or not it smells good. On the downside, if you have bad breath, wearing a mask might feel even more unpleasant. A common cause of bad breath is actually from wearing dentures.

If you’re a denture wearer and suffer from bad breath, find out what causes it, and how to make your breath smell better. 

What Causes Denture Breath?

The main cause of denture breath is actually the dentures themselves. When you don’t properly clean your dentures, bacteria accumulates on your dentures and begins to smell. It’s the same as not brushing your teeth. When the bacteria isn’t removed, it smells. Bacteria can hide in small crevices or become trapped under the denture arch if you don’t remove and properly clean the dentures.

Acrylic dentures also have small surface pores. To your naked eye, your dentures might look smooth and solid. But under a microscope, they have tiny pores where food debris and bacteria can rest. Cleaning and brushing your dentures usually removes the debris and bacteria, but if you don’t brush well, the bacteria and debris remain, ready to make your breath stink.

If you’re not entirely sure if your dentures smell in the first place, remove them from your mouth and place them in a sealed plastic bag. After letting them rest for a few minutes, open the bag and take a whiff. If you smell an unpleasant odor, it’s clear that your dentures are part of the problem.

However, if your dentures don’t stink, it might actually be something in your mouth that’s causing the bad breath. If you don’t have any remaining teeth, then the smell is likely from an infection in your gums or other soft tissues in your mouth. It can also be from your tongue or gums if you don’t regularly clean these.

Older Ages Have More Bacteria in Their Mouths

As you age, your appearance does change, the inside of your body does too. Studies show that older people have higher counts of yeast and lactobacilli in their saliva. This is particularly true for patients who wear dentures. With age, more vigilant dental care is necessary but unfortunately, the older people get, the more they neglect their dental health.

Even if you wear dentures, you should still visit the dentist regularly to ensure your dentures fit properly and to ensure your mouth is clean and healthy. 57% of denture wearers either rarely or never get a routine check-up. This is one of the causes of bad denture breath. Without regular checkups, you might not know that your dentures are the cause of your bad breath. Your dentures might not fit correctly which can lead to mouth sores and infections too. When you have clean dentures that fit properly and fresh breath, you’ll feel more confident and you won’t have to worry about hiding your bad breath.

Preventing Bad Denture Breath

If you’ve got bad denture breath, don’t worry. With our tips, we’ll help you get back to clean and fresh breath in no time.

Overnight Soaking

One of the best ways to avoid bad denture breath is by soaking your dentures overnight. At the end of your day, you should remove your dentures and place them in a cup filled with a denture cleaning solution. Next, you should brush your gums and tongue with toothpaste to clean any remaining bacteria out of your mouth. While you sleep, the denture cleaner will work its magic and kill 99.99% of germs on your dentures. Soaking overnight kills more germs and is much more effective than a quick three to five-minute soak.

Brushing Properly

After you wake up and your dentures have soaked all night, take them out of the cleaning solution and use a soft-bristled toothbrush or denture brush to gently brush your dentures. This will help remove plaque or anything that remains on your dentures that can potentially cause bad breath. You should also use toothpaste to brush your tongue and gums again. Once you’re finished, place your dentures back in your mouth and you will have perfect fresh breath to start your day.

Drink More Water Throughout the Day

Another tip to help you prevent denture breath is to drink more water throughout the day. So many factors can contribute to dry mouth like medications, age, smoking, and more. When your mouth is dry, your saliva isn’t there to regularly wash away bacteria which can contribute to bad breath. When you drink more water throughout the day, it helps wash away the stinky bacteria that causes your bad breath.

Regular Dental Visits

If you’re not visiting your Carlsbad dentist regularly for checkups, it’s important to incorporate this into your routine. We recommend visiting us at least once per year so we can check up on the quality of your dentures and make adjustments if they’re not fitting correctly. We will also evaluate your gum health. When you visit us regularly, we can help you prevent denture breath and uncomfortable or poor-fitting dentures that can contribute to denture breath and a whole array of other problems.

Visit Your Dentures Dentist in Carlsbad

If you’re overdue for a checkup or you have bad denture breath that won’t quit, you need to schedule an appointment at Elevated Smiles. Drs. Saw or Luu will help you reclaim your fresh breath and oral health. Contact us at (760) 622-3010 today to book an appointment.