Dentures are one of the most common treatments available for missing teeth. Better known as “false teeth”, dentures are custom-made prosthetic devices designed to fit against the gums and replace the look and feel of natural teeth. Available in full or partial varieties depending on how many teeth are missing from the jawbone, dentures are designed to be easy to remove for cleaning and sleeping. Yet, while dentures are a reliable option and the treatment has evolved a lot over the decades, there are still some common problems that many patients with dentures experience.
Many of these problems are typically caused by ill-fitting or neglected dentures: chewing difficulty, gum irritation, and dentures slipping out of place. Poorly constructed dentures, lack of adequate dental hygiene, and even certain medical conditions all increase the risk of experiencing issues with your new set of teeth.
Are you missing all or most of your natural teeth? If so, you’re probably weighing up all your options, including dentures, to figure out which one is best for you. You may be wondering if you’re at high risk for issues with dentures. Or maybe you’ve already experienced some, and you’re looking into other options.
In this article, Next Smile Australia explores some of the most common issues with dentures, from chewing difficulty to sores and other painful conditions, why these issues occur, and the other treatments available for missing teeth.
Common Issues Experienced With Dentures
Soreness
It takes time for your mouth to adjust to new dentures, and it’s normal for them to feel strange or uncomfortable at first. It’s not unusual to experience some discomfort or tenderness for at least a month. This feeling subsides as your mouth becomes used to your new teeth. However, pain that lingers beyond the healing period is an indication that there’s an issue with either your dentures or your oral health.
Difficulty speaking
Dentures sit differently in your mouth than natural teeth, and a set of dentures can feel like a foreign object that you need to re-learn to speak around. Fortunately, it doesn’t take long to get back to your regular speaking patterns, especially if you practice regularly. If your dentures cause speech problems even after your tongue has grown accustomed to them, a poor fit or second-rate construction may be the culprit.
Difficulty eating
Learning to eat with dentures takes practice, and you may find your new dentures slipping out of place when you bite down or chew. Certain foods, like nuts and seeds, can also get stuck under your dentures. As you become used to your new dentures, it becomes easier to eat some of the foods you are used to. However, even once you become accustomed to your new dentures, you should still avoid hard and sticky foods, such as nuts, seeds, toffee, apples, and raw vegetables, as well as avoid tough and chewy meats, such as steak.
Dentures Slipping
Slipping out of position, especially during actions such as eating, laughing, or smiling, is common for new dentures. Over time, the muscles in your tongue and cheeks will adapt to better hold your new teeth in place. However, if your dentures are the wrong size, this issue may continue beyond the recovery period.
Excessive saliva
You may find you produce excess saliva in the first few weeks after receiving new dentures. If this problem continues, it is usually due to an improper fit, where the dentures press onto your gland or nerves to produce an excess of saliva. It could also be due to the dentures being too thick and pressing on your cheek, tongue, or gums, causing excessive salivation.
Loss of suction
Factors such as bone loss, a dry mouth, certain medications, and even aging can compromise the suction of your dentures. Dental implants or less expensive options like adhesives can help with this issue. However, denture adhesives may cause other issues when eating particular foods.
Gagging
If your new dentures are making you gag, they may be sitting so far back in your mouth that your body interprets them as a blockage. Gagging can also be an indicator that your jawbone has shrunk with age and your dentures need to be realigned.
Gum sores
Over time, poor-fitting dentures can start to rub or cut into your gums, leading to nasty sores. Gum sores can also be the result of food particles getting stuck between the dentures and the gums or bacteria from dentures that haven’t been properly cleaned.
Why These Issues with Dentures Occur
Reasons you may experience gum irritation, speech problems and other issues from your dentures include:
Ill-fitting dentures
Poor-fitting dentures are the leading cause of denture-related problems. As we age and our jaws and gums shrink, these natural changes can cause already poorly fitted dentures to become loose.
Improper denture hygiene
Poor dental hygiene leads to issues like stomatitis, redness and inflammation of the oral issues beneath the denture.
Sleeping with dentures in
It’s important to always remove your dentures when you lie down to sleep. Sleeping with dentures in can increase your chance of gum sores, bone resorption and denture-related stomatitis, as well as pneumonia.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease characterised by the loss of bone density and strength, so it’s no surprise that osteoporosis and dentures have an uneasy relationship. Osteoporosis can weaken the jawbone, so it no longer provides adequate support for dentures. It also causes jawbone resorption and leads to a decline in how well your dentures function over time.
While a person with osteoporosis can still receive dentures, they need a professional who understands the relationship between osteoporosis and dentures and can construct a well-fitting denture set.
Other Treatment Options
If dentures don’t appeal to you, your dentist has told you they’re not the right type of treatment, or you’ve tried them but have been unhappy with the results, there are other treatment options for you.
Dental bridges
A dental bridge replaces one or more missing teeth with false teeth and is connected to the teeth on either side of the gap. Dental bridges come in different types, including traditional (a crown on both ends), cantilever (a crown on one end), and implant-supported. Unlike dentures, implant-supported dental bridges aren’t removable. They’re a permanent solution that can last a number of years with proper care.
Dental implants
A traditional dental implant is a metal screw inserted into the jawbone with an artificial tooth (“crown”) attached to the top. For patients with one or more missing teeth, it’s an effective method of permanent replacement. It’s possible to get traditional dental implants if you have osteoporosis, although other measures may be necessary, such as bone grafting.
All-on-4®
The All-on-4® treatment is an advanced method of restorative dentistry that supports an entire bridge of new teeth on just four dental implants: two at the front and two at the back in either the upper or lower jawbone. All-on-4® has a 98% success rate based on more than 25 years of clinical data. It has a faster recovery period than traditional implants, requires no dental bone grafting, and provides you with a new smile in just 24 hours.
Find out If You’re Suitable for All-on-4® at Next Smile Australia
At Next Smile Australia, we provide the All-on-4® treatment concept, a long-term fixed alternative to dentures. Made from the highest-quality Nobel Biocare materials, these long-lasting teeth are the closest you’ll get to your natural teeth.
If All-on-4® is the right treatment for you, our team will perform your surgery in one of our safe, comfortable and hygienic Super Clinics using state-of-the-art technology.
Contact the Next Smile Australia team to learn more about All-on-4®, attend an information session, or arrange a personal consultation.