Dentures or false teeth used to replace natural teeth after their having fallen out or have been extracted, allow you to eat and speak without constraint.
Loose dentures can be very uncomfortable and embarrassing.
They can also create friction at the gum line which is minor initially, but can eventually create sores.
When left unattended, this inflammation is not only painful but can also pose a serious risk to your oral health.
Though the dentures generally fit securely in your mouth, they sometimes become loose and no longer feel the way they are meant to.
They might start slipping & sliding in the mouth when you are eating or speaking.
A visit to a dentist can ascertain if the dentures can be relined or if a new set is required.
Upon noticing loose dentures, it is best to schedule an appointment to talk to your dentist & fix the situation as quickly as possible.
Reasons for Loose Dentures
There can be various reasons for the dentures becoming loose. Bone resorption, a process where your gums begin to shrink is the most common reason among others.
Gradual wear and tear can be another reason for dentures becoming loose.
Good care of your dentures can prevent this, which implies taking them out before sleeping at night and avoiding chewing or biting down on hard food.
Loose Denture Fixes
There are a variety of options for loose denture fixes, including fast, in-office fixes or permanent changes to your denture that can last several years.
New Denture Adhesive
You can hold them in place with a strong denture adhesive, to prevent them from moving around too much in your mouth.
A paste with a firmer grip and better fill can buy you time while more permanent options are accessed.
Soft Relining
A quick in-office procedure, the soft relining helps re-mold the inner lining of removable dentures.
This helps to accommodate the changes in your jaw shape.
This is done by cleaning the dentures and adding polymer to the tray. The tray is again replaced in the mouth to take shape, giving a soft, more secure fit.
According to the severity of loosening, this option can sustain from months to years providing you with a dependable and inexpensive solution.
Hard Relining
Similar to its less permanent counterpart, in this relining, the newly molded dentures are sent out to a lab where hard denture plastic is used permanently to reshape the tray.
This offers a more durable fit, but the procedure is more costly and time-consuming.
Also, your dentures will be unavailable to you for a couple of days while they are at the lab, which may result in some inconvenience.
It is recommended that patients have the dentures relined to improve the fit when bone loss occurs.
Visiting the dentist regularly can help ensure relining is done when it is rather than waiting for the dentures to break.
Usually, a dentist can adjust the way the dentures fit with repairs and relining.
But almost all dentures will need replacement at some juncture, especially if there is considerable bone loss.
Besides, the dentures that do not fit well are more inclined to breakage.
Also Read: When Do Dentists Recommend Dental Sealants?
Dental Implants
Your dentist may recommend switching to implant-supported dentures also known as overdentures if he feels you are eligible.
In this process, the implants or titanium posts are fused to your jawbone to keep your artificial teeth secured in place.
These are more secure removable dentures as the artificial teeth are anchored to your jawbone using dental implants.
Implants are regarded as a better alternative to dentures because the titanium posts act like your tooth root and stimulate the growth of bone, instead of reducing your bone density like dentures.
An invasive procedure, this is expensive but one of the best ways of lessening denture adjustment.
But not everyone is eligible for this method as adequate bone health to fully support implant rods may be missing.
The two types of implant-supported dentures are bar-retained and ball-retained dentures.
Bar-Retained Dentures:
Your jawline and is wrapped around with a thin metal bar, attached to two to five dental implants in your jawbone using clips.
Ball-Retained Dentures:
Each of the implants in the mouth requires to have a metal attachment that fits into a part of the denture.
Conclusion
Loose dentures can be cumbersome and difficult and pose a hindrance to chewing food and speaking properly.
In case of loose dentures, schedule an appointment with Dr. Gaurav Sharma at Kirkland Premier Dentistry, to get them adjusted and to discuss more secure alternatives.
