When dealing with extensive tooth loss, dentures serve as an excellent option for many patients looking for quick and affordable ways to regain the confidence that comes with a beautiful smile, as well as the ability to eat and drink normally. That said, dentures are not without their potential drawbacks.
Our jaws are designed to support teeth, and when we suffer tooth loss, one of the side effects can be that our jaw bones begin to lose density. Even if your dentures are perfectly fitted to your jaw initially, this bone loss can leave you with slippage, chafing, and ill-fitting dentures over time.
When dentures don’t fit snugly on the gums, you may experience a host of undesirable outcomes as a result. Generally speaking, you can expect dentures to last up to 5-7 years before replacement is necessary, but some may seem ill-fitting from the beginning. Your best bet is to contact your trusted dental professional to adjust or even remake dentures as needed.
While you may not want to spend the money, or you might think you can find a way to live with dentures that just don’t fit right, the truth is that you’re going to experience a variety of unpleasant side effects in the meantime. Here are just a few outcomes you might face when you don’t address poor fitting dentures.
Chafing and Discomfort
When your dentures fit perfectly, they’ll stay in place with the aid of denture fixative and in time, you won’t even notice them. They’ll function largely like your natural teeth once did, provided you take precautions like sticking to softer foods, avoiding sticky items, and cutting hard foods into small, bite-size pieces for easier chewing.
However, when your dentures no longer fit properly, no amount of precautions will prevent slippage, sliding, and the chafing and discomfort that follow. This can lead to swelling of the gums, general soreness, and even the formation of painful blisters or sores. You needn’t suffer, though. With regular check-ups and adjustments, and replacement as needed, you’ll enjoy a pain-free and productive relationship with your dentures.
Trouble Speaking
It’s not until you lose teeth that you understand how integral they are to speaking. Luckily, dentures can help you to regain this essential communication tool. It just may require some practice as you get used to your replacement teeth.
Of course, ill-fitting dentures that move around as you speak could undermine your efforts, making it impossible to acclimate and speak normally. This can create isolating conditions that affect your ability to socialize and lead a normal life, which is why you should seek advice and care from your dental professionals if this problem persists.
Embarrassment
A beautiful smile is often cited as one of the most attractive features when meeting new people, which is why it’s so important that your dentures fit properly. If you’re constantly worried about how they look, whether they’ll function as they should, or if they might slip out of place, you’re not going to experience the confidence that should come from your replacement smile. Poor fitting dentures can cause you unnecessary embarrassment and mental anguish, but there’s an easy solution when you visit your trusted dental professional for examination and adjustment.
Pain Symptoms
If you continue to wear dentures that don’t fit right, you could end up experiencing a variety of associated pain symptoms. Jaw pain is common, as is pain in and around the ears. Over time, this can develop into TMJ disorders.
Headaches are another common side effect, perhaps related to clenching the jaw as you try to keep dentures in place. If chafing leads to sores or blisters, you also open yourself up to mouth infections that could cause further problems.
Malnutrition
It’s not abnormal to experience some difficulty eating as you acclimate to wearing dentures, which is why you’ll start with liquids and soft foods before graduating to harder foods (cut into bite-size pieces). However, if your dentures are poor fitting from the beginning or they stop fitting properly over time, your issues with eating a nutritious and balanced diet could lead to malnutrition and a host of other health concerns.
There’s no need to suffer with dentures that don’t fit. If you’re struggling with your dentures, new or old, contact the experienced and caring professionals at Glendale Periodontics at 818-240-4555 or online to schedule an appointment and learn more.
