What should you do with clean dentures?

When handling clean dentures, it is essential to prioritize the comfort and hygiene of the resident. Storing dentures properly is crucial for maintaining their cleanliness and ensuring they are available for the resident when needed. The most appropriate action is to return the clean dentures to the resident or, if they are not immediately needed, to store them in a designated denture cup.

Using a denture cup serves several important purposes: it keeps the dentures safe from damage, prevents contamination, and helps to keep them moist if necessary. This is especially important for individuals who may have difficulty speaking or eating without their dentures.

In contrast, other options are inadequate for different reasons; storing dentures in a drawer does not ensure they remain clean or accessible, leaving them on a counter increases the risk of contamination, and throwing them away would potentially deprive the resident of a crucial part of their daily life. Thus, returning the clean dentures to the resident or storing them properly in a denture cup is the best practice.