tips for adjusting to dentures

If you have missing teeth, your dentist may recommend that you get dentures to fix the problems. Dentures have come a long way over the years, and they now look better and are much more comfortable than ever. Unfortunately, there are still some problems you can encounter when you wear dentures. Before you more forward with getting dentures of your own, it's important to be aware of the potential problems that can come up and how to deal with them.

Poor Fit

As you continue to wear dentures, those perfectly fitting dentures can eventually start to fit poorly. This can happen as you get older and your gum tissue starts to deteriorate and alter the overall shape of your gums. To fix this problem, you'll have to go back to your dentist to have the dentures adjusted. This will involve resizing the dentures to ensure that they seal tightly with the gums once again.

Your dentist will have several techniques to adjust existing dentures, which saves money by not needing to create brand new ones. The dentist may create a mold of your gums and use that to reform the dentures, or replace the certain parts of the dentures so they form a better fit. In extreme situations, it may be recommended that you get dental implants to hold the dentures in place.

Infections

Wearing dentures can potentially cause a yeast infection. One common form is known as cheilitis, which is when you have yeast that causes splitting and cracking around your mouth's outer edges. Stomatitis can also happen, where there are red bumps in the mouth with no accompanying symptoms.

Your dentist will help address this issue by addressing how you care for the dentures. They'll review cleaning techniques, such as soaking them during the night in a cleaning solution. You'll also have to make sure that you are brushing your dentures regularly, but with a special toothbrush that won't scratch the surface of the teeth. You can also remove bacteria from your mouth by using mouthwash.

Eating Problems

If you have difficulty eating with dentures, it's likely from not adjusting to how you need to chew differently. Chewing with dentures requires a grinding motion than a chomping motion, which helps keep the dentures from slipping out. You can also use a denture adhesive when eating to keep the dentures attached and prevent them from slipping.

Speak to your dentist for more information about dentures.