The Dangers of Sleeping in Your Dentures 

You wear your removable dentures throughout the entire day, what’s the harm in just leaving them in while you sleep? The truth is, your mouth needs a break from your prosthetic teeth and your nighttime sleep is the perfect chance to give that. Whether you have partial or full dentures, removing your dentures for at least five to six hours per day is the healthy habit for your oral health and body health.

Here are some of the most common reasons why you need take your dentures out when you are putting your pajamas on:

#1 Creates Breeding Ground for Bacteria

The nighttime is the best time to clean your dentures or let them soak. If not, the under surfaces of your dentures can become breeding grounds for oral bacteria and fungi, which leads to odors, irritation and disease!

#2 Accelerates of Bone Loss

Dentures undoubtedly put pressure on your gums and the bony ridges beneath them. If this pressure remains constant for 24 hours per day, the process of bone resorption within your jaw can be accelerated. This can lead to ill-fitting dentures as well as changes in your facial structure.

#3 Increases Risk for Overall Health Concerns

Studies show that patients who wear their dentures during the night are more likely to have tongue and denture plaque, gum inflammation and thrush. Nighttime denture wearing has also been linked to an increase in pneumonia deaths in nursing home patients. Your whole-body health is at stake when you neglect to give your dentures a “time out” from your mouth.

#4 Creates Threat of Denture Stomatitis

Another fact to consider is that we have a lower saliva production while we sleep. When you keep your dentures in during this drier oral environment, you invite the risk of denture stomatitis, a condition that causes inflammation and infection in the upper palate.

Talk to a Denture Expert

At Dream Dentist, we proudly help patients regain a confident, healthy and functional smile with the use of cosmetic dentures. However, we also value the importance of establishing proper denture care habits – such as not sleeping in your prosthetic teeth. For more tips on keeping your mouth healthy while wearing traditional dentures, please give us a call.


Dream Dentist
1646 W U.S. 50
O'Fallon, IL 62269
(618) 726-2699