Dentures, also known as false teeth, are designed to replace natural teeth after they have fallen out or had to be extracted, allowing you to eat and speak without being interrupted by an uncomfortable denture. Even though they usually fit securely in your mouth, they may become loose at times and fail to perform as well as they should. If your dentures have been damaged or broken, there is no need to worry. The team at Dental Implant San Diego will be able to help you.
WHAT CAUSES LOOSE DENTURES?
As your gums begin to shrink because they are no longer used to hold your teeth in place, your dentures will become loose for various reasons. Bone resorption is the most common cause.
A loose denture can happen for various reasons, but one of them is the everyday wear and tear you experience. It is possible to prevent this by taking good care of your dentures, which means not chewing or biting down on hard food when eating and taking them out of your mouth at night to avoid damage.
HOW TO RESTORE YOUR LOOSE DENTURES
You can use a stronger denture adhesive to fix your dentures when they become loose, which is one of several ways you can fix them when they become loose. No adhesive should be used to attach your dentures to your mouth since they are made specifically for your mouth, meaning they are supposed to fit perfectly without any adhesive. Make an appointment with your dentist if your dentures start to loosen.
Your dentist can adjust dentures to fit perfectly in your mouth so that you feel comfortable wearing them. However, it is essential to note that if you are experiencing a rapid bone resorption rate, you will be required to see your dentist frequently to adjust your dental work.
When you cannot see your dentist immediately, you should use a strong adhesive to fix it in your mouth, so it doesn’t move around as much as it would if you weren’t able to do so right away. I recommend that you check the adhesive before applying it to your denture to ensure that it does not contain zinc because an excessive amount of zinc can lead to health problems, especially if you are eating a diet rich in zinc.
An alternative to getting your dentures adjusted or using adhesive to hold them in place: implant-supported dentures, also known as overdentures, are a great alternative to having your dentures adjusted or glued. Compared to traditional removable dentures, permanent, removable dentures are more secure since the artificial teeth are anchored to the jawbone through dental implants, which are titanium posts fused to your jawbone to keep your artificial teeth in place securely.
In comparison to dentures, implants are considered a better choice because implants stimulate the growth of bone in your jawbone rather than reducing it, as dentures do, by replacing the root of your tooth with a metal post, which helps to stimulate bone growth. A dental implant essentially functions as a root for your new tooth by acting as your tooth root does.
Implant-supported dentures come in two basic types: dentures that are bar-retained and dentures that are ball-retained.
- Dental implant-retained dentures: These are attached to the jawbone with clips with a thin metal bar that wraps around the top of your jaw frame and attaches to one or two dental implants inserted into the bone.
- Dentures with ball attachments: If you choose to have a denture with ball attachments, each implant in your mouth will be attached to a metal part of the denture that will fit into a portion of the frame.
In Conclusion
Loose dentures can exacerbate the difficulty in chewing food and speaking correctly. You should schedule an appointment with your dentist if you have loose dentures so that they can be adjusted, and you can talk to your dentist about more secure alternatives.
If you would like to schedule an appointment with our San Diego office, please contact San Diego Smile Center at (858) 566-0842 to schedule an appointment.