Common Questions
There are many misconceptions about how denture wearers
should care for their dentures and their oral health. Please
take the time to read the following information.
Common
Problems for Denture Wearers
- Premature Aging
New dentures can replace the worn ridges, lenghthing and straightening your face, making you look and feel younger!
- Poor
Fit
Loose or improper fitting
dentures can cause excessive friction between the soft tissues and
the dentures, resulting in sore spots that may become infected.
- Poor
Chewing Ability
A denture that
doesn't fit or teeth that don't function
effectively can make it difficult
to chew food properly. As a result, many nutritious and harder-to-chew
foods may be eliminated from the diet.
In these cases, digestion and overall good
health are affected.
- Unnatural
Aesthetics
"Chicklet" teeth
that are all the same color can be a tell-tale sign
that a person
is wearing a denture. The same is true with overly dark teeth. Other
signs are flat teeth, "picket fence" teeth, too
much gum, too much teeth or not enough teeth showing.
- Premature
Aging
Inferior
denture teeth can wear excessively. This "shortening" of
the teeth leads to a shortening of the
face. That will increase the
wrinkles around your mouth, cheeks and chin. The end result? You
look older. Over time, the ridge
tissue will shrink, no longer supporting the denture like it should.
An unstable denture can make the ridges
shrink even more and at a
faster rate.
- Joint and Jaw Disorders
Excessive denture
tooth wear and "shortening"
of the ridges may cause improper support and function which can
upset the jaw mechanism. This can, in extreme cases, lead
to a temporo mandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. TMJ can be
characterized by pain in the jaw, neck, head, and/or shoulders.
- Bad Oral Hygiene
Food particles can get
stuck in old or dirty dentures. This breeds bacteria, which
can weaken the denture and lead to bad breath.
Due to the porous
nature of the acrylic or porcelain from which dentures are made
and the natural changes occurring in the mouth, even the best made
denture should be replaced every 3 years.
- Emotional and Psychological
Distress
Improper fit or unnatural-looking
dentures can make it difficult and embarrassing to speak, eat and
socialize.
