Get your teeth into this question.

[JohnMcM]

I was knocked back by a question asked by a married couple of friends of mine who are challenged in an orthodontist way. They both use full sets of false teeth and both want to walk a Camino.

They asked me for advice about caring for themselves (and their oral hygiene) during a 3-4 week Camino.

I was stumped. I truly did not know what to advise them.

For a few minutes we laughed about the possibility of teeth in a glass an albergue, people taking the wrong teeth by mistake and eating those rock-hard bocadiilos.

Then, it dawned on me, this is potentially a serious concern for some people.

So, if you use false teeth, how did you manage?

I recognise this may be a personal thing to speak about and I mean no offence. I simply want help a couple of friends.

If you want to reply using third- party anecdotes then fine, but please do reply.

Anyone who chooses to post here, please be sensitive to others feelings and reply in the spirit of this forum. We have two potential pilgrims who have a real concern.

Buen Camino

 

[Deleted member 67185]

I was knocked back by a question asked by a married couple of friends of mine who are challenged in an orthodontist way. They both use full sets of false teeth and both want to walk a Camino.

They asked me for advice about caring for themselves (and their oral hygiene) during a 3-4 week Camino.

I was stumped. I truly did not know what to advise them.

For a few minutes we laughed about the possibility of teeth in a glass an albergue, people taking the wrong teeth by mistake and eating those rock-hard bocadiilos.

Then, it dawned on me, this is potentially a serious concern for some people.

So, if you use false teeth, how did you manage?

I recognise this may be a personal thing to speak about and I mean no offence. I simply want help a couple of friends.

If you want to reply using third- party anecdotes then fine, but please do reply.

Anyone who chooses to post here, please be sensitive to others feelings and reply in the spirit of this forum. We have two potential pilgrims who have a real concern.

Buen Camino

I don't have false teeth, but I imagine that the same hygiene regimine can be easily maintained on Camino. It would be easy to carry a few heavy duty ziploc freezer bags. At hygiene time, double bag the teeth in the soaking solution and keep at the bedside. I wonder if your friends might also be expressing some anxiety about doing the hygiene, removing/putting in their teeth, and having other pilgrims seeing them without their teeth in conditions where there are a lot of people around in alburgues and there is far less than normal privacy

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I don't have false teeth, but I imagine that the same hygiene regimine can be easily maintained on Camino. It would be easy to carry a few heavy duty ziploc freezer bags. At hygiene time, double bag the teeth in the soaking solution and keep at the bedside. I wonder if your friends might also be expressing some anxiety about doing the hygiene, removing/putting in their teeth, and having other pilgrims seeing them without their teeth in conditions where there are a lot of people around in alburgues and there is far less than normal privacy

Very considerate answer. Pilgrims who desire a bit more privacy could walk in off-season too, when there is more “elbow room”.

 

[natefaith]

Good, unique question! I like how the forum stretches our horizons.

I did a quick search online about "backpacking with false teeth" and a hiker has said he carries/ soaks his in a discreet Tupperware container.

 

[Tincatinker]

There are many excellent products on the market that will do a full hygiene job on dentures inside 10 minutes. I have just taken a small tupperware (tm) and waited for a quiet moment.

Being between 'plates' at the moment having lost a few more teeth I'm just flashing my piratical grin. But then I'm a Tinker and we have no shame

 

[HedaP]

Not sure if this will be useful but I pack a small mesh bag to which I have attached some ties. It is ultra light ie. 5 g. I got the bag from zpacks http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/tent_pocket.shtml and the ties are nylon from a craft shop. I tie the bag to the bunk near my pillow. Most bunks, top or bottom, can accommodate the bag. I use it to store anything I might want to have handy during the night such as lip balm, hanky and phone. It would easily store a set of dentures cleaned with the express denture cleaner or whatever and then they would be readily available to put in before getting up.

 

[jerbear]

Ok ill bite. Lol i use a empty butter dish. In a bag at head of bunk. Easy peasy buen camino

 

[JohnMcM]

Thanks everyone who have replied. I'll pass on your ideas.
Buen Camino

 

[Tincatinker]

As I said - no shame; and no pride. I hope your friends walk their Camino without fear or shame. And arrive in Santiago with pride

 

[natefaith]

As I said - no shame; and no pride. I hope your friends walk their Camino without fear or shame. And arrive in Santiago with pride

Great photo - you've got a happy twinkle in your eyes!

 

[susanawee]

I was knocked back by a question asked by a married couple of friends of mine who are challenged in an orthodontist way. They both use full sets of false teeth and both want to walk a Camino.

They asked me for advice about caring for themselves (and their oral hygiene) during a 3-4 week Camino.

I was stumped. I truly did not know what to advise them.

For a few minutes we laughed about the possibility of teeth in a glass an albergue, people taking the wrong teeth by mistake and eating those rock-hard bocadiilos.

Then, it dawned on me, this is potentially a serious concern for some people.

So, if you use false teeth, how did you manage?

I recognise this may be a personal thing to speak about and I mean no offence. I simply want help a couple of friends.

If you want to reply using third- party anecdotes then fine, but please do reply.

Anyone who chooses to post here, please be sensitive to others feelings and reply in the spirit of this forum. We have two potential pilgrims who have a real concern.

Buen Camino

An extremely Valid question and one which I am also very interested in learning about in terms of how people deal with this issue and also the other issue of partial dentures. Cheers and looking forward to reading answers.

 

[David]

Great question. The thing is, it is only home habit (and clever marketing) that has dentures soaking overnight, or even soaking at all.
They can be cleaned with a brush and toothpaste just like normal teeth and then the gums brushed too. Also, there is not even any need to take them out at night - even if one uses a denture fixative one can brush the teeth and gums at night, dry the dentures and add the fixative and then pop them back in for the night - repeating in the morning.

Do this, use dentures in a similar way to real teeth and there will be no problems, no hygiene problems, no gum problems, no discoloration problems .. even if you do it for weeks.

It really is that simple. (Get your friends to try this method for a week and they will see).