Patient Reviews Patient Feedback
When you first received your removable dentures the fit was firm and comfortable. Lately, though, they’ve become loose, making it difficult to eat or speak without slippage.
The problem may not be with your denture, but with bone loss. Human bone goes through a natural cycle of dissolving (known as resorption) and new growth to take the lost bone’s place. The jawbone receives further stimulation to grow from the forces generated by natural teeth when we bite or chew.
When natural teeth are missing, however, the jawbone lacks this stimulation, which over time results in bone loss and gum tissue shrinkage. Traditional dentures can’t transmit this stimulating force to the jawbone either, so the bone and gum structure under a denture will also shrink. This results in a looser fit for the denture.
The simplest option to correct a loose-fitting denture (especially if it’s the first occurrence) is to reline the dentures with additional material to re-form the fit to the new conditions in the mouth. A permanent relining will require sending your dentures to a dental laboratory to apply the new material based on a mold of your current anatomy beneath the denture.
If, however, your dentures have already undergone a few relinings, or after examining your gums we determine a relining won’t provide the fit and stability needed, then it may be time for a new denture. Although this is more costly than a relining, a new appliance could provide a more accurate fit to the current contours in your mouth.
The latter option may also give you a chance to benefit from advancements in denture technology or materials since you received your current denture. One such advancement is a removable denture that’s supported by implants. It’s possible to achieve this new supporting foundation for the denture with as few as two strategically-placed implants in the lower jaw.
If you’ve begun to notice denture looseness, be sure to make an appointment for an examination. From there, we can advise you on what will work best in your particular case.
If you would like more information on your options regarding removable dentures, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Loose Dentures.”
A woman as gorgeous and funny as Sofia Vergara surely planned to be a model and actress from the get-go, right? Wrong! Sofia’s first career choice actually was to be… a dentist! That’s right, the sexy star of TV’s Modern Family actually was only two semesters shy of finishing a dental degree in her native Columbia when she traded dental school for the small screen. Still, dental health remains a top priority for the actress and her son, Manolo.
“I’m obsessed,” she recently told People magazine. “My son thinks I’m crazy because I make him do a cleaning every three months. I try to bribe the dentist to make him to do it sooner!”
That’s what we call a healthy obsession (teeth-cleaning, not bribery). And while coming in for a professional cleaning every three months may not be necessary for everyone, some people — especially those who are particularly susceptible to gum disease — may benefit from professional cleanings on a three-month schedule. In fact, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to having professional teeth cleanings — but everyone needs this beneficial procedure on a regular basis.
Even if you are meticulous about your daily oral hygiene routine at home, there are plenty of reasons for regular checkups. They include:
So take a tip from Sofia Vergara, and don’t skimp on professional cleanings and checkups. If you want to know how often you should come in for routine dental checkups, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can learn more in the Dear Doctor articles “Dental Hygiene Visit” and “Dental Cleanings Using Ultrasonic Scalers.”