Local 60614 Denture Care - Dentures Costs

False Teeth - Usefulness of Denture Adhesives

Denture adhesives enhance the retentive interface between the surface of a denture and the underlying tissues upon which false teeth rest.

Optimizing the Interface Space

There is a slight space at the interface between the inside of a denture and the jaw that is usually filled with saliva. As this gap increases, a denture becomes less retentive and stable.

The interface space arises because of material and fabrication limitations used in making a denture. This gap also is contributed to by the constant changing contour and shrinkage of jawbone.

While an interface space exists in all dentures and increases with time, optimum denture function and retention depends upon reducing it. Denture adhesives fill this increasing space, improve suction, and create a sticky contact between a denture and underlying surfaces. This also helps resist foods from collecting under the denture base.

How to Use Denture Adhesives

Thin paste adhesives are preferred to powders since they are already fluid and easier to manage and apply. However, some prefer powder types. Whatever works best for an individual should be used.

Pea-sized amounts of the paste may be placed in a few places within a denture where jaw ridges fit and where the roof of the mouth contacts. A thin film of adhesive spreads out as a denture seats in the mouth. Use the least amount to do the "job."

If excess amounts are necessary, then the opinion of a dentist should be sought since denture maintenance may be necessary. A licensed dentist should be routinely seen at six-month intervals for routine oral examinations and bite adjustments.

A person needs to experiment with how often to apply adhesives. Some apply it before meals while others function satisfactorily all day with one application.

A denture and mouth should be cleaned of all adhesives at least once a day, and the denture should be left out of a cleaned and rinsed mouth for at least an hour a day.

How to Clean Up Your Dentures

It can be difficult removing adhesives. The denture may be cleaned with a brush, soap, and running water, or with a little white distilled vinegar in water.

All adhesives should be removed from the mouth for hygienic purposes. Rinsing with extremely warm water or salt water helps removal. It may be necessary to use a soft toothbrush or wash cloth-like material to assist removal from the mouth tissues.

Advantages of Denture Adhesives

• Effectively fills the interface gap between a denture and underlying jaw.
• Provides a sense of security with wearing dentures, even with well-fitting dentures when additional confidence is desired.
• Facilitates acceptability and builds confidence with wearing new dentures.
• Reduces food impaction beneath dentures by closing prosthesis borders.
• Helps an individual open their mouth wider for more confident chewing (increases the chewing stroke), rather than eating with small strokes to compensate for concerns about the potential for a denture coming loose.
• Decreases the irritation and chafing of mouth tissues from habits such as grinding teeth together (parafunctional activities).
• Facilitates wearing dentures for individuals with persistent dry mouth (xerostomia).

Disadvantages of Adhesives

• Difficult to remove denture adhesive from the mouth and denture.
• A false sense of security that a denture is still satisfactory may develop from using adhesives with a poorly-fitting denture that should be relined, replaced, or maintained in different ways.

by Joseph J. Massad, D.D.S.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

If Your Dentures Make Your Mouth Sore

Having dentures should not hurt. People who wear dentures may experience temporary oral irritation or soreness. Eating certain foods may cause temporary pain. For example, a seed or peanut may slip under a denture and cause irritation to the gum.

This type of irritation usually goes away after a few days once the source of trouble (in this case the seed or peanut) is removed. Often, it may be more comfortable to leave the denture out of the mouth during this healing.

Dentures are custom made specifically for your mouth; therefore, new dentures often require adjustments to areas that rest directly on the soft tissue. Sometimes, due to bony ledges and undercuts, dentures require alteration. To improve the balance and pressure of the denture during eating, the bite is sometimes adjusted.

Adjusting a denture requires a quick and simple dental visit. The denture dentist may use an indicator paste or marker on the irritated mouth tissue, which is then transferred to the denture upon placement, to determine the exact location on the denture that needs adjusting.

A rotary dental hand piece is used to contour the denture. Often, relief of an impinging denture improves comfort immediately; however, keeping the denture out of the mouth for a while may help the irritation or sore heal. After a few weeks, discomfort associated with a new denture often is eliminated and the denture functions without pain.

Over time, the mouth undergoes changes that can affect the fit of a denture. Since the bone and gum tissue of your mouth changes over time, it is important that denture wearers visit the denture dentist at least once a year for an oral examination, including an oral cancer examination.

A denture dentist can exam your mouth to determine the cause of your pain, evaluate your soreness and irritations, and adjust your denture. Depending upon the severity of the denture sore and the length of time the denture has not been in the mouth, it may be necessary to wear the denture the day before the dental visit so that the dentist can accurately resolve the problem. Often, a few denture adjustments will resolve discomfort associated with your denture.

Seeing a denture dentist can help improve the fit, function, and look of your denture, as well as detect any problems that are not related to the denture.

by Denise J. Fedele, D.M.D., M.S.

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.