Dentures are a tried-and-true method of refurbishing your smile if you’ve lost some or all of your teeth. When they fit well, they provide many benefits that have maintained their status as a popular treatment over the years. Patients love that they look and feel natural as well as restore their ability to eat and speak normally.
If you find that yours are slipping out of place or clicking when you open your mouth, they might not be fitting properly, anymore. Those with a full schedule or many other priorities may be tempted to put off a visit to the dentist to have them relined, but there are risks if you do. Keep reading to learn 3 of the complications of dentures that are out of shape.
Issue #1: Swollen Gums
When you lose a tooth, your body reabsorbs the surrounding bone mass that’s no longer necessary to support it. As a result, your facial structure gradually shifts and changes over time. That means that dentures that once fit like a glove suddenly are loose or prone to becoming displaced.
If your dentures no longer fit, they’ll chafe against your gums in ways and places they weren’t intended to. The added pressure and repeated friction can cause swelling and irritation, not to mention bleeding when you wear them.
Issue #2: Blisters
Along with inflamed gums, ill-fitting dentures that are rubbing you raw can cause blisters. Though this is your body’s natural defense to protect your delicate tissues, they can hurt and develop infection. This causes the blisters to multiply which leaves many people feeling embarrassed on top of the additional agony.
Issue #3: Sore Muscles
Your tongue and other mouth muscles are forced to work overtime to try to keep your now-slippery dentures in place. Unfortunately, this can leave your jaw and face with aches and pains. If you don’t address the issue, you might even develop a TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder. This joint is responsible for allowing us to open and close our mouths so when it’s tight and tense, you’ll have a hard time with meals and conversations. In some cases, patients become so sore that they can’t open their mouths at all!
To add insult to injury, when your mouth and jaw hurt, the tenderness often extends upwards into your face or skull which can result in intense headaches.
If your dentures no longer stay put like they used to, call your dentist sooner rather than later. They’ll help you adjust or replace them so that you can continue to enjoy the many advantages they offer for the next several years!
About the Practice
At Brown, Reynolds, Snow, LeNoir Dentistry, patients of all ages benefit from an award-winning team of dental experts. By utilizing the most advanced technologies and techniques, they provide effective treatments that last. They offer a wide range of dental services including restorative treatments like dentures. If you’d like a consultation, their compassionate staff are happy to help you schedule an appointment. You’re welcome to contact the office on the website or by calling (804) 288-5324.