Today’s technologically advanced dentures aren’t your grandparents’ “false teeth.” Now made with superior materials and processes, you could almost forget you’re wearing them. But don’t let that cause you to leave them in for the night: While it may seem like a harmless thing to do, wearing dentures 24/7 may not be good for them or your health.

For one thing, around the clock denture wearing could worsen bone loss, already a concern with dentures and missing teeth. The forces generated when we chew on natural teeth stimulate new bone growth to replace older bone cells. When teeth go missing, though, so does this stimulus. Even the best dentures can’t restore this stimulation, so bone loss remains a risk.

And, dentures can accelerate bone loss because of the added pressure they bring to the bony gum ridges that support them. Wearing them all the time deprives the gums of any rest, further speeding up the pace of bone loss. Losing bone volume not only affects your overall oral health, it will gradually loosen your dentures’ fit and make them uncomfortable to wear.

Another problem: You may clean your dentures less frequently if you don’t take them out at night. Lack of cleaning can encourage bacterial growth and lead to disease. Studies show that people who don’t take their dentures out at night have more dental plaque accumulation, gum inflammation and higher blood counts of the protein interleukin 6, indicating the body is fighting infection.

And that’s not just a problem for your mouth. Continuous denture wearing could make you twice as likely to develop life-threatening pneumonia as someone who routinely takes their dentures out.

These and other concerns make nightly denture removal a good practice for your health’s sake. While they’re out, it’s also a good time to clean them: Manually brush them for best results (be sure you’re only using regular soap or denture cleanser—toothpaste is too abrasive for them). You can then store them in clean water or a solution designed for dentures.

Having said all that, though, there may be one reason why wearing dentures at night might be beneficial—it may help prevent obstructive sleep apnea. If you have this condition, talk to your dentist about whether wearing your dentures at night has more advantages than disadvantages. And, if bone loss created by wearing dentures is a concern, it could be resolved by having implants support your dentures. Again, discuss this with your dentist.

Taking care of your dentures will help increase their life and fit, and protect your health. And part of that may be taking them out to give your gums a rest while you’re resting.

If you would like more information on denture care, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Sleeping in Dentures.”

Maybe you don’t like to be without teeth — ever. Or maybe you get a little forgetful sometimes. Whatever the reason, if you’re wearing your dentures to bed at night, we have one message for you: Please stop!

Sleeping in dentures can have serious health consequences. A recent study published in the Journal of Dental Research found that nursing home residents who wore their dentures to sleep were 2.3 times more likely to be hospitalized or even die of pneumonia as those who did not sleep in dentures. But how can wearing dentures at night more than double your chances of getting a lung infection?

As the study noted, pneumonia-causing bacteria can readily be moved from the mouth to the lungs simply by breathing. And dentures that are not removed at night can become breeding grounds for all kind of bacteria and fungi (such as yeast). That’s what makes them potentially dangerous.

Another condition often seen in people who wear upper dentures continually is called denture stomatitis, which is characterized by a red, inflamed palate (roof of the mouth) that has been infected with yeast. The yeast microorganisms can also infect cracked corners of the mouth, a condition known as angular cheilitis. Moreover, it has also been shown that people who sleep in dentures have higher blood levels of a protein called interleukin 6, which indicates that the body is fighting an infection. Need we go on?

Wearing dentures is supposed to improve your quality of life, not reduce it. So promote good health by taking your dentures out at night, and sticking to a good daily oral hygiene routine:

• Remove and rinse your dentures after every meal.
• Brush your dentures at least once a day with a soft toothbrush or denture brush and dish soap, liquid antibacterial soap, or denture cleanser (but don’t use toothpaste — it is too abrasive).
• Store your dentures in water or a solution made for this purpose.
• Brush your gums and tongue every day with a soft toothbrush (not the same one you clean your dentures with).
• Rinse your dentures in clean water before you put them back in your mouth.

If you would like any more information on dentures and oral hygiene, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation.