Your dentures are designed to make your life easier by allowing you to eat a full diet, speak clearly, and smile confidently. But when they stop fitting properly, they can have the opposite effect, and can even cause painful denture sores, malnourishment, and in some rare cases, even oral cancer. Here’s why it’s so important to have properly fitting prosthetics, and how it can harm you if you don’t!
How Dentures Work
Your dentures are designed to fit your individual mouth, and under ideal conditions should stay securely in place on your arches in one of two ways: on the lower jaw, your mouth uses muscle control from the lips, tongue, and cheeks to help keep your restoration stable; conversely, the upper jaw relies on natural suction from a vacuum seal that uses your own saliva to stay in place.
Disaster Ahead: When Dentures Don’t Fit
While your dentures are customized to your individual smile, over time their shape can change, as can that of your arches. That’s why it is recommended that you replace them every five to seven years or repair them if they need to be relined in the meantime. If you notice your prosthetics have cracks, chips, uneven wear, or make clicking noises while using them, be sure to visit your dentist as soon as possible!
In addition to being harder to use, poorly fitting dentures can also be extremely dangerous. Not only will they make it difficult to eat a nutritious diet and increase your risk of malnutrition, but research has also found a link between improper fit and oral cancer, especially if you smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol together. This is because a poor fit could allow particles of tobacco and residue from alcohol to become trapped between your gums and dentures, increasing your exposure levels to both beyond what is normal.
How to Care for Your Dentures
The best way to ensure your dentures last as long as possible is to take excellent care of them. Here are a few tips that could help extend their lifespan:
- Be sure to remove your dentures after each meal and brush them with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a mild dish soap, hand soap, or denture cleansing product. Then, rinse them well, whether you’ll be wearing them again soon or not.
- Floss your dentures between each tooth at least once a day.
- When not in use, leave your dentures submerged in either water or denture soak. It is imperative that you not allow them to dry out, as this can cause them to warp, crack, and lose their shape.
- Remove your dentures every night before heading to bed – after the first 24 hours, do not sleep with dentures in your mouth, as this can cause them to dry out and may increase your risk of illnesses such as pneumonia!
Should your dentures incur damage, don’t attempt to correct it yourself or simply ‘live with it.’ Instead, be sure to contact your dentist for urgent assistance so they can help you get your smile back on track without suffering any long-term consequences.
Remember, it is important that your dentures stay in place in your mouth without discomfort or the need for additional products like adhesives. If your prosthetics aren’t fitting quite like they should, don’t wait to get help. Contact your dentist today so they can help restore your healthy, gorgeous grin!
About Our Practice
At Associates in Dental Health of Haverhill, our trio of caring and skilled dentists understand the importance of a healthy, beautiful smile. If your dentures don’t fit quite like they used to, there’s no need to tough it out and suffer in silence. Schedule an urgent appointment with us today so we can check their condition and find a solution that will bring back your happy, healthy, gorgeous grin. To book an appointment for dentures, visit our website or call us today at 978-372-6800.