Dentures can be difficult and time-consuming to take care of. They are an excellent addition, but they also have a lot of responsibility that goes with them. It’s important for patients to keep their dentures clean so as not to carry any kind of oral infection around or get one through food consumption!
The video below will show you how to properly clean upper or lower dentures. Be sure not to use any harsh products on the denture and always follow the instructions that come with it. Now, let’s get started!
Cleaning Upper or Lower Denture
The process for cleaning upper or lower dentures to a patient during the CNA skills exam is as follows:
- To ensure you are practicing good dental hygiene, wash your hands before removing dentures from the patient’s mouth.
- Allow the patient to remove their dentures by themselves and hand them over. If they are unable, then you do it for them. Start with an up-and-down movement on both upper teeth before removing gently; repeat this process for lower set of teeth as well, working in a similar fashion.
- Take a bath towel and line the top of your wash basin with it. Fill up the sink until there is enough water for cleaning, but take care not to put dentures in them.
- Carry the dentures near the sink. Apply a small amount of toothpaste or denture cleaner on the outer edges, in similar manner to brushing them with water. Wash one at a time and lay it out neatly when you are done! To avoid bacteria and other contaminants, place dentures in a cup of cold water after cleaning. The cool temperature will prevent the growth of any harmful microorganisms that may have been left behind during clean up.
- After cleaning their dentures, it’s time to clean the patient’s mouth. Have them rinse with a cup of water and then use cotton swabs dipped in hydrogen peroxide to get any leftover food particles off teeth. Next put dental adhesive on your fingers so you can fix their broken or loose dentures back into place.
- When you are done washing, be sure to dispose of the water from the basin. You should also remove any gloves that may have been on and put them off properly before disposing of those too. Finally, wash your hands again with soap for good measure.
With all the steps we’ve outlined, you should be able to clean dentures thoroughly and safely. Hope our article has been helpful! If you would like more information on clinical skills tests visit our other blog posts.