If you're looking for the best way to clean your dentures but are wondering, can you leave dentures in Steradent overnight? The short answer is, no you shouldn't. Although it's common practice among denture wearers to soak them in Steradent overnight, dentists recommend that you don't.
If you want to know more about cleaning your dentures, keep reading while we answer the following questions:
- Why shouldn't you leave your denture in Steradent overnight?
- How should you clean your dentures?
- How does Steradent recommend cleaning and caring for your dentures?
- What alternatives to Steradent are there?
Caring for your full or partial dentures properly will ensure that they last for several years. Not looking after your removable teeth can cause all sorts of issues that can affect your oral health. These problems can include anything from bad breath and mouth sores to infection or gum disease.
So, you are probably wondering why dentists don't recommend soaking false teeth in Steradent overnight. Let's get started.
Table of contents
Why shouldn't you leave dentures in Steradent overnight?
overnight in Steradent
False teeth aren't cheap, so it's important to have the right cleaning products and routine to ensure they last a long time. But, If you are considering getting dentures after teeth extractions, you might not know the best way to care for your removable teeth.
It is important to know that Steradent can potentially have detrimental effects on different types of dentures. It is an effervescent tablet that dissolves in water to create an alkaline peroxide solution (a powerful cleaning solution). Alkaline peroxide solutions are very effective in removing food particles, bacteria, plaque and even stains.
However, they can also damage the surface of certain materials if you soak dentures overnight.
This study shows that when Steradent is used frequently it eventually corrodes the dental acrylic resin that some dentures are made of. However, dentists say that it is safe for acrylic and chrome dentures if only used for 15 minutes twice a day.
How does Steradent recommend you clean your dentures?
Steradent recommends using their cleaning tablets twice daily, rather than overnight as many people believe. They also state that this should be for 3 minutes, which is a much shorter amount of time! The steps to using their product, which can be found on the Steradent website, are:
- Rinse your denture in clean water
- Place one Steradent tablet in a glass along with your dentures
- Fill the glass with warm water (not boiling or hot water as that could warp your dentures)
- Soak dentures for 3 minutes
- Brush your denture with a soft toothbrush and make sure to remove all debris
- Rinse your denture before wearing
Always follow the manufacturer's directions when using cleaning materials to prevent misuse or overexposure to cleaning solutions.
How should you clean your dentures?
Our advice is to follow directions from your dentist and read the manufacturer guidelines for any additional denture cleaner. This is because there is no consensus between dental professionals on the proper way to clean your dentures. However, for a basic cleaning routine we recommend:
- Remove any denture adhesive and food remaining on the denture
- Brush acrylic and metal false teeth with a soft brush and non-abrasive toothpaste
- Thoroughly rinse afterwards and before wearing
- For softer denture materials remove debris by rinsing with water
- Use an additional cleaner once a week, or more depending on manufacturers instructions
Some materials need to be cleaned carefully so they don't start to look dull or get scratched. Smaller dentures or false teeth with metal parts need to be cleaned carefully so that they don't break.
The following explains how the NHS recommends that you clean your dentures:
Dentures need to be cleaned and cared for to ensure they remain well-fitting and don't become loose or warp. Make sure you also clean your natural teeth, gums and tongue for overall good oral health. If you think your dentures no longer fit, you can read our article on how to make your dentures fit better for advice.
What are alternative denture cleaners to Steradent?
As you know, cleaning your false teeth is an important part of maintaining your oral health. However, if you aren't sure about using Steradent there are plenty of alternatives out there. We have put together the following list of denture cleaning products in the UK for you to consider:
- Efferdent Denture Cleaner Tablets
- Polident Overnight Whitening Antibacterial Denture Cleanser Effervescent Tablets
- Retainer Brite Cleaning Tablets
- VITIS Orthodontic Effervescent Retainer Cleaning Tablets
- Poligrip Denture Tablets
- Dentural Max Solution
These products all have quite good reviews, but make sure you read the information included to know if they are suitable for your denture.
Denture cleaning products
Alongside denture cleaners, there are other products that you can use to help clean your false teeth better. These include denture baths, sonic cleaners and denture cases. All of these are a type of plastic container that you can fit your removable teeth inside for safekeeping and cleaning.
Sonic cleaners are vibrating baths for your dentures. They vibrate rapidly to remove plaque, bacteria and remaining food particles, reducing your time spent brushing.
Conclusion
Steradent is a good cleaning product to use if you follow the manufacturer's guidelines. But, remember that soaking your dentures in Steradent overnight isn't recommended. Using Steradent can have harmful effects on false teeth if they are made from soft materials like flexible dental resins.
We advise checking with your dentist which products are safe to use for your particular type of denture.
Acrylic and metal are ok to use with Steradent if you follow the directions properly. But, make sure you are careful when cleaning metal parts so that they don't break. Using cleaning aids such as a toothbrush, sonic cleaner and denture case can help to improve your morning and evening dental routine.
If you aren't sure you want to use Steradent, there are a multitude of alternatives out there for you to try. Your dentist will be able to recommend one that is best for your dentures.
Steradent. Regular cleaning of your dentures is important? Why? Consulted 19th March 2019.
Dental Nursing. Denture hygiene – why, when and how. Consulted 19th March 2019.
NCBI. Corrosion of a dental acrylic resin by alkaline peroxide used for cleaning. Consulted 19th March 2019.