Home Care Instructions

Whether you are a patient of Vivid Prosthodontics or not, I hope you find these instructions for your dental work helpful.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email our office.

Dentures/Partial Dentures

Getting Used to Your Denture:

Dentures can feel overwhelming at first, but with practice and patience, you will adjust and become comfortable wearing them.
If you have an old denture, the more you switch back & forth, the longer it will take to get used to it!
We have changed the shape of your mouth, so it takes time for your muscles and brain to adapt—this is normal and will improve.
The more you wear them, the faster you get used to them!

Eating:

Eating may be difficult at first and takes practice.
Start with soft foods such as soup, cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, pasta, and similar items.
Cut food into small bites and gradually work up to firmer foods.
Take smaller bites and chew on both sides at the same time to help prevent movement.
You may use a small amount of denture adhesive at first (a little goes a long way).
You may accidentally bite your cheeks or tongue while adjusting—this is normal. If it happens, rinse with warm salt water twice daily to help with healing.
Dentures/Partials will get food under them! Please rinse after eating when you can.

Talking:

Your speech may sound different for a few weeks or up to a few months.
The more you practice speaking, the easier it will become.
Helpful practice ideas include reading out loud, talking to the TV, or chatting with family and friends.

Cleaning and Care:

Remove your denture while sleeping (or for at least 6–8 hours daily) to keep your gums healthy and help prevent fungal infections.
Soak your denture overnight in water or denture-cleaning tablets.
Do not use toothpaste, as it is abrasive and can damage the denture and remove its shine. This allows plaque to stick to it easier. Instead, clean your denture using hand soap or dish soap with a denture brush.
Denture-cleaning tablets can be used as needed to remove buildup (up to a couple times per week, but not every night).

Adjustments:

Some movement and sore spots are normal as you begin wearing your denture.
Please return to the office for adjustments and let us know about any discomfort.
We offer up to 6 free adjustments within the first 6 months—please take advantage of them so we can keep your denture comfortable.

Things to Avoid:

Keep dentures away from pets—pets love to chew on them.
Avoid handling dentures over hard surfaces like porcelain floors; dropping them can break them.
We recommend placing a bath mat or towel on the floor when cleaning or handling your denture in case it is accidentally dropped.

Temporary Dentures/Partials

After Your Appointment:

Leave the denture in overnight to act as a bandage and help with healing.
If it becomes too uncomfortable, you may remove it and we will place it back in for you at your follow-up appointment.
Stick to soft foods such as eggs, cottage cheese, applesauce, yogurt, and similar items.
For discomfort, take what you normally use for a headache and stay on schedule with your pain medication prescribed by your surgeon.
Your bite may feel off at first—this is normal and will be adjusted at your follow-up visit.
This process can be frustrating! Dentures are a prosthetic body part that aren’t going to be as efficient as teeth. It will take time to get used to them.
As you heal, your gums will shrink. To help with this, we will likely place a soft liner in the denture to act as a cushion. In the meantime, you can use a little adhesive as long as it’s not where you have stitches.
Be patient and we are here to help!!!

If You Have A Soft Liner:

Soft liners are temporary and require careful maintenance to prevent damage.
Do not use a denture brush on the soft liner itself, as it can lift the liner around the edges.
You may clean the denture teeth with a denture brush using mild dish soap or hand soap.
Do not use regular toothpaste, as it can damage your denture teeth.
Soak your denture overnight in water. Do not use denture-cleaning tablets with a soft liner.
The edges of your soft liner may lift slightly—this is normal. Do not try to remove it yourself, just try to ignore it, or trim with clean scissors. You are also welcome to give us a call to adjust.

Hybrids/Implant Dentures

Getting Used to Your Hybrid Denture:

Some cheek or tongue biting is normal during the first few weeks as you adjust to your new teeth.
You may notice mild difficulty speaking at first, but this typically improves quickly.
Please report any concerns to Dr. Burson.
If your bite feels off or uncomfortable, let us know as soon as possible. A few adjustments may be needed for your bite to feel perfect.

Mouthguard/Nightguard:

With your hybrid denture, we provide a complimentary mouthguard. It is critical you wear it.
Wearing your mouthguard is important to protect your new teeth and prevent damage or the need for repairs/replacement. You don’t have as much feeling with implants, and you may not feel damage if it is occurring.
The mouthguard will need to be replaced when heavy wear is noticed.

Maintenance/Cleaning:

While you won’t get a cavity with implants, you still need to clean around your implants to prevent bacteria buildup and bone loss.
Recommended cleaning tools: super floss, floss threaders, and a Waterpik.
Brush your prosthesis and tongue to remove surface stains regularly.
Unless necessary, the prosthesis will remain in place. If it must be removed, the screws that hold it will need to be replaced every 2-3 times if wear is noted.
The better you maintain and clean your hybrid denture, the lower your long-term maintenance costs will be!

Snap-In Dentures/Overdentures

Getting Used to Your Overdentures:

Some cheek or tongue biting is normal during the first few weeks as you adjust to your new teeth.
You may experience mild difficulty speaking at first, but this typically improves quickly.
Sore spots are common and expected—adjustments will be made as needed while you get used to your denture.

Maintenance and Cleaning:

Rinse your denture and mouth after eating.
Remove your denture overnight to keep your gums healthy.
Brush your denture daily using a denture brush and mild dish soap. Do not use regular toothpaste, as it can damage the acrylic and remove the shine.
Before you put your denture in, your implants and denture must be clean. If not, it can damage the inserts.
Soak your denture overnight in water or denture-cleaning tablets. Avoid using denture tablets too often, as this may affect the longevity of the O-rings.
Clean around your implants daily by brushing. Bacteria buildup around implants can cause bone loss.
Most patients need O-rings replaced about once a year, but this varies. Call the office if your denture feels loose or is easy to insert/remove.

Things to Avoid:

Keep dentures away from porcelain floors—accidental drops can break or chip them. Place a bath mat down if necessary.
Keep dentures out of reach of pets. Dentures smell and taste like you, and pets love to chew them.
If your denture is damaged by pets or drops, call the office for repairs.

Full Smile Makeovers

Getting Used to Your New Smile:

It is normal to experience some cheek or tongue biting during the first few weeks as you adjust to your new teeth.
You may notice mild difficulty with speaking at first—this will improve as you adapt.
Please report any concerns to Dr. Burson.
If your bite feels off or uncomfortable, let us know as soon as possible. A few adjustments may be needed for everything to feel just right.

Cleaning and Oral Care:

Care for your new teeth just like natural teeth with daily brushing and flossing.
Teeth with crowns can still develop cavities, and when they do, they can progress faster than on natural teeth.
Excellent oral hygiene is very important to protect your investment, save time and money, and keep your teeth healthy.
If you have dental implants, a Waterpik is a great tool for cleaning hard-to-reach areas.
We recommend seeing a dental professional at least every 6 months. Some patients may benefit from visits every 3 months, depending on their individual needs. We will work with you and your family dentist to determine the best schedule.

Mouthguard/Nightguard:

With all full smile makeovers, we provide a complimentary night guard.
Wearing your night guard is essential to protect your restorations and help prevent chipping, wear, or the need for repairs or replacements.
The night guard also helps prevent tooth movement and keeps your teeth properly aligned.
Your night guard will need to be replaced when heavy wear is noted.

Final Crowns/Bridges

Getting Used to Them:

Some cheek or tongue biting is normal during the first few weeks.
You may notice minor speech changes at first—this will improve as you adjust.
If your bite feels uncomfortable or “off,” please contact our office right away. A few small adjustments may be needed.
Although rare, a crown can come off. If this happens, call the office immediately so we can re-cement it.

Cleaning and Oral Care:

Care for your crowns and bridges just like natural teeth: brush and floss daily.
Teeth with crowns can still get cavities, and they may develop faster than on natural teeth.
High-fluoride products and excellent oral hygiene are very important to protect your teeth and avoid future dental work.
If you have implants, a Waterpik is helpful for cleaning around hard-to-reach areas.
Dental visits are recommended every 6 months. Some patients may need visits every 3 months. We will help determine the best schedule for you.

Temporary Crowns/Bridges

After Your Appointment:

Avoid eating until the numbness completely wears off (usually a few hours) to prevent biting your tongue or cheeks.
Stick with soft foods for the rest of the day.
Your gums may feel sore after the procedure. Take what you normally use for a headache if needed and gently rinse with salt water to promote healing.

Cleaning and Oral Care:

Brush your teeth as normal using toothpaste.
Floss daily, but release one end and pull the floss through (instead of pulling up) to avoid dislodging the temporary bridge.

Eating:

You may eat normally but avoid sticky, hard, or chewy foods—anything you cannot cut with the side of a fork.
Remember, this is a temporary, so it may come off. It’s designed so that we may take it off later for your final.
If it comes off, you can place a small amount of toothpaste inside the crown/bridge and gently put it back on.
Please call the office so we can properly cement it back in place.

Implant Crowns/Bridges

After Your Appointment:

Screw loosening is the most common complication with implant crowns and bridges.
If your implant crown or bridge feels loose at all, please call our office right away to prevent damage or breakage of the screw.
If your implant crown or bridge is on a front tooth, avoid biting into hard foods such as apples, hard bread, or similar items.
Your gums may feel sore from pressure during placement—this is normal and should subside shortly.

Cleaning and Oral Care:

Brush and clean the implant crown or bridge just like a natural tooth.
Implants can develop bone loss if not cleaned properly, and teeth next to implants have a higher risk of developing a cavity.
We recommend using super floss, floss threaders, or a Waterpik to clean hard-to-reach areas around the implant.

Temporary Implant Crowns

After Your Appointment:

If your temporary implant crown is on a front tooth, avoid biting into hard foods such as apples, hard bread, or similar items.
Your gums may feel sore from pressure during placement—this is normal and should improve shortly.
There is a white material in the screw access hole. It is okay if this comes out, as it is temporary material.

Cleaning and Oral Care:

Clean and brush the temporary implant crown just like a natural tooth.
We recommend using super floss, floss threaders, or a Waterpik to clean hard-to-reach areas around the implant.

Temporary Retainers

Wearing Your Retainer:

Remove your retainer when eating.
If you are out in public, you may eat with it in, but rinse it as soon as possible to remove food and debris.
Remove your retainer at night. The attached tooth may come out with the retainer—this is normal and can be reinserted.

Handling and Care:

Do not bite the retainer into place, as this can damage it.
Do not drink sugary beverages or things that can stain while retainer is in as it will hold the sugar/stain on your teeth.
When you wear through one, you can transfer the tooth to the next.
We give you 3 free retainers. If you wear through those, they are $100 each.

Buildups/Bonding

After Your Appointment:

Allow numbness to completely wear off before eating (this may take a few hours) to avoid biting your cheek or tongue.
It is normal for the tooth to feel sensitive to hot or cold foods and drinks.
If you experience mild discomfort, you may take what you normally use for a headache.
If sensitivity lasts longer than a few days, or if your bite feels high or uneven, please contact our office so we can make any necessary adjustments.
The buildups are made of filling material, so unlike porcelain, they will need to be polished occasionally & will pick up stain over time.
They are easier to chip than porcelain, so avoid things that are bad for natural teeth – such as chewing on ice, pens or anything very hard. Normal food is fine.

Bleaching/Whitening

After Your Appointment:

For the next 48 hours, avoid highly colored foods and drinks that can stain, such as blueberries, coffee, tea, and red wine.
Mild sensitivity to hot or cold liquids may occur for 1–2 days. This is normal.
If sensitivity is severe or lasts longer than a couple of days, please call the office.
If needed, you may take what you normally use for a headache.
You may notice slight color relapse—this is normal as the teeth rehydrate.
White areas may appear on your gums after treatment; this should subside within about 10 minutes.
Your gums may feel sensitive—be gentle when brushing.
Be patient and we are here to help!!!