Many longtime glasses wearers keep their old pairs around as backups. They’re not as good as the new pair, but if the new pair gets broken, they figure, they can go back to the old in an emergency. Some denture wearers Think this is a good solution, too, but the problem is that dentures aren’t as easy to store and put back on as eyeglasses.

How to Store Backup Dentures

If you want to have a backup pair of dentures around, you can, just so long as you store them properly. Don’t listen to people that tell you to store your dentures dry. This will warp your dentures, which can mean they won’t fit when you need them.

Instead, store dentures in a sterile liquid solution. This will keep your dentures from warping. But there may still be problems with storing your dentures long-term.

Changes in Stored Dentures

traditional dentures with a small mirrorThe plastic in dentures continues to change in storage. This means they become stronger, but also more brittle–susceptible to breakage–over time. The good news is that most of this occurs over the first year or so, os if you’re storing old dentures, the odds are good that they’ve stabilized and won’t change a lot.

Changes in Your Mouth

On the other hand, your mouth continues to change as long as you are wearing dentures. Although the most dramatic changes occur in the first six months to a year, they don’t stop at any time. This means that by the time you need your backup pair, they might not fit you so well anymore.

In order to make sure that your backup pair of dentures continues to fit, you will need to take it to the dentist every time you have your primary dentures relined and get them relined, too. That way, you’ll at least know that your backup dentures will fit when you need them.

Or you can buy two primary pairs of dentures and alternate wearing them. This will extend the life of each denture, and it ensures that when a denture breaks, you won’t be forced to wear a pair of dentures that you wanted to get rid of before, likely because they were unattractive, uncomfortable, and worn.

If you are looking for a great set of dentures, please contact a local FOY® Dentures dentist today.