A denture is a prosthesis used to replace a missing tooth or teeth. Dentures are designed to look like your natural teeth and they are custom-made to fit inside an individual mouth.

Dentures should fit reasonably comfortably inside of the mouth and if for any reason they begin to become uncomfortable or cause you pain, or if they have become loose then you should make an appointment to see our dentist in Wide Bay Central Dental Clinic or a prosthodontist as soon as possible. These symptoms could mean that your denture needs to be repaired or replaced or that you have other oral health problems that may require treatment. If you do have an ill-fitting denture there are some things that can be done to assist in assuring you can achieve a more comfortably fitted denture.

Denture Adjustment

Denture adjustments can assist where your denture has a spot that is rubbing or hurting or where they are poking into you (where a denture has a clasp). A denture adjustment involves making an appointment with our dentist during which they will remove the denture and check to see how the denture fits sometimes with the use of dental products such as a pressure-indicating paste.

Our dentist will then if needed adjust the denture using a denture bur, this process may need to be repeated several times to achieve a successful result. The denture will then be returned to you.

Denture Reline

A denture relines can assist where a denture is loose and no longer sitting properly in the mouth. When a denture is loose it may move, be uncomfortable when eating or drop in the mouth when coughing, sneezing, etc. In some circumstances, denture relines being done to your old denture can assist with making the denture fit more securely in the mouth.

Over time the tissue in the mouth, once teeth have been extracted, alters, with the bone in the mouth generally shrinking as time passes. This alteration generally begins within weeks of the teeth being extracted and can continue indefinitely. The rate at which this process occurs varies depending on personal circumstances. This means that your denture that fits perfectly at the beginning after two years can become loose as the natural bone shrinks.

A denture reline is the process that occurs when a dentist or a denture lab reshapes the underside of a denture where it rests against your gums to make it more comfortable. They do this by adding material to the underside of the denture and shaping it to fit the gums. The material that is used for a reline can be either soft or hard.

Denture relines can take place at your dental office in the chair and be given back to you by the end of the appointment. In some scenarios, however, the denture will need to be sent overnight to a denture lab for the reline.

When Should I Replace My Denture?

Dentures should be replaced every 5-10 years depending on the period of time that the denture maintains its comfort levels even where this comfort is maintained with the assistance of denture relines.

Realistically although this is the recommended time frame within which to replace a denture, it is inevitably the decision of the patient when they are financially, physically, and mentally ready to undergo the process of getting a new denture.

The reason that it is recommended that dentures are replaced every 5-10 years is due to as mentioned above, the ever-changing nature of the bone in the jaw once teeth have been removed. Dramatic changes can take place over such a time frame and there may become a point when a denture reline can no longer assist in improving the comfort and fit of a denture.

Dental Implants

Dental Implants are generally the final option for patients whose dentures are loose. A dental implant is a metal screw that is placed inside the jaw bone, these metal screws then have attachments on top. This allows for a denture to be made that can attach to the implants in place of missing teeth.

These implants work basically as teeth, as they help maintain the bone that is around the implant and they give the denture something to hold onto in the mouth. Dental Implants can help better the quality of life for many denture users, especially those with full dentures on either the upper or the lower jaw, and are becoming more common in recent times.

Although dental implants are a fantastic solution to some people’s dental problems it does need to be considered however that getting implants placed is a surgical procedure and so is a serious undertaking.

If you need more information about dental implants and what is possible for you simply call our dental clinic in Hervey Bay and book an appointment with our dentists all your questions will be answered with clarity also payment plan options are available to make the process easier for you.

FAQ’s

How long does it take to get used to dentures?

Getting dentures is a different experience for every individual and so the time that it takes an individual to get used to their denture can vary. This is even more so when a patient is receiving a full upper or lower denture. Having a denture is having a foreign object in the mouth that the body is not used to and so a new shoe needs to be worn in.

For some people, the process of getting used to their dentures may take days and for other people, it may take months, in rare circumstances some people never get used to, or rather are comfortable with a denture.