Why Do I Have Loose Fitting Dentures?
For many people with missing teeth, the day to day chore of wearing dentures can be difficult enough without the added hassle of them becoming loose. So why does this happen? Dr Harmit Kalsi a dentist with a keen interest in dental implants in Richmond explains….
In essence, although dentures replace both the function and form of missing teeth they’re positioned to fit snugly onto the patient’s gum line. This means that technically, there remains a gap underneath where the missing tooth root once was. In a natural tooth, the root acts as a stimulant to the surrounding bone tissue causing it to it grow around the root making a strong platform. When the tooth root isn’t there, the bone tissue and surrounding gum starts to diminish. The problem is that this is an ongoing process that starts immediately the tooth is lost and continues ‘ad infinitum‘. Over time, this causes the shape of a denture wearer’s jaw to change as the bone becomes thinner and this is why the same set of dentures that once fitted perfectly, suddenly become loose.
When a denture wearer has ill-fitting dentures it can bring about a whole host of other problems including …
- Difficulty in chewing food
- Problems with annunciation and speaking
- Denture slippage
- Painful sores where the loose dentures have rubbed and in rare cases…
- Zinc poisoning from certain denture creams when excessive amounts are applied.
So what are the alternatives?
Firstly, you can get your current dentures re-adjusted and tightened to fit, or even replaced for a newer pair and this is what a lot of people do. Alternatively, you can escape from the whole denture wearing cycle, by opting for dental implants.
Even though you might think that a full set of dental implants are way out of your budget, there are other alternatives. Lost tooth roots can easily be replaced by dental implants. In Richmond, for example, here at Sheen Dental we don’t just fit implants on a ‘tooth-for-tooth’ basis. Instead we use a few well-placed dental implants to hold an entire set of dentures. In most cases this is usually sufficient enough to halt bone loss and give you a great fitting set of dentures which will never become loose.
If you want to find out more about alternatives to standard dentures then contact Sheen Dental to talk about your dental options. Call today on 020 8876 5277 and book your appointment, where together we can help you make an informed decision about your dental future. You can also read more about implants by visiting our website at www.sheendentalimplants.co.uk