Online Dental Insurance, Should Dentures Be Worn at Bedtime?
Should dentures be worn at bedtime?
The quick answer is No. You should always remove your denture while sleeping.
The Longer answer to that is the case why: Taking your dentures out while sleeping gives your gums and other denture bearing tissues a chance to rest, recover and receive beneficial exposure to antibacterial agents naturally present in your saliva. In addition sleeping with your dentures can also have some serious health consequences. According to a recent study in the Journal of Dental Research, it 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.
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 health risk with sleeping with dentures would is called denture stomatitis, which is characterized by a red, inflamed palate 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.
Therefore if you are currently sleeping with your dentures we strongly recommend braking that habit. If you have questions concerning this issue talk to your dentist about denture care
