Avoid Mouth Discomfort With Denture Adjustments

The main benefit of denture adjustments is ensuring that your dentures emulate the look, feel, and function of natural teeth. Dentures are no substitute for natural teeth with roots in the jaw, but they come close. They should stay in place when you speak, laugh, and smile. They should help you chew your food without trying to escape your mouth.

When dentures fail on any of these counts, they can turn aspects of your daily life into ordeals. Worse, dentures that fit wrong can cause constant discomfort, pain, and other complications. The point of dentures is to improve your life, not make it more difficult. This is where regular exams come in.

Denture adjustments in the setting of routine dental visits

The person who wears dentures needs regular dental exams to keep tabs on the health of their mouth. Dentists use these exams to check on the health of the jawbone, gums, and other soft tissues in the oral cavity.

Also part of a routine exam is evaluating the structures and fit of a patient's dentures. The dentist will ask the patient about the following aspects of their life with dentures:

• How easily they can speak and eat.
• Whether they experience soreness, pain, or any other type of discomfort.
• Their oral hygiene routine, both for their gums and their dentures.

The dentist will also use a visual exam and medical imaging to track changes in the patient’s jaws and gums. They will manually test the fit of the dentures and ask the patient for feedback. The dentist will use the information from the exam to improve their patient’s experience with dentures in one or more of the following ways.

1. Minor repairs

Dentures with problem teeth can create an uneven bite that can cause extensive damage. A missing tooth, a fracture, or a chip will often cause a person to change how they use their dentures. This leads to uneven wear and tear that slowly breaks down the structure of the dentures.

Prompt repair of minor problems can extend the life of a set of dentures, saving the patient money in the long run. These interventions can also prevent the discomfort that comes with damaged dentures.

2. Professional cleaning

Professional cleaning of dentures prevents bacterial buildup in the hard-to-reach nooks of the prosthetics. Dentists will also clean the patient’s gums and check for gum disease and other infections. These are preventative measures against painful and uncomfortable sores.

3. Denture adjustments

The bone structure of the mouth changes as a person ages, more so when most or all their natural teeth are missing. Dentists will perform periodic denture adjustments to accommodate these changes. This ensures a snug, comfortable fit that prevents slippage, soreness, and overall discomfort.