Mayda Ferguson, DDS
Although you may find it difficult to believe when commercials promise snake-oil potions and cures for a longer life, there are some natural and smart ways you can extend your expectancy. In fact, on top of a healthy diet and regular exercise, studies have found that those who have traditional dentures are expected to have a shorter lifespan by as many as 10 years than those who have their natural teeth or dental implants! How can the feel of your dentures matter so much? How do dentures stop fitting properly, and what choices do you have to extend your lifespan?
Why Does the Fit of Your Dentures Matter?
At first, you may think you can get along just fine with dentures that don’t fit perfectly; however, dentures do more significant jobs than simply give you a full smile. These prosthetics allow you to bite and chew healthy foods. Although many processed foods are softer, they also provide far fewer necessary vitamins and nutrients your body needs. As a result, you may suffer from more life-threatening or life-shortening health issues like diabetes, heart disease, malnutrition, and more if your ill-fitting dentures don’t enable you to eat healthily.
Also, when dentures don’t have a comfortable fit in your mouth, surface sores can develop on the gums and other soft tissue. These rough spots and inflamed tissue, if prolonged exposure is allowed, can increase your risk of oral cancer, regardless of your tobacco or alcohol use.
In addition, having lost teeth you want to hide can bring you down emotionally and mentally. Depression and low self-esteem can prevent you from socializing or smiling at all. Even if you don’t have suicidal thoughts, depression and lack of joy in your life can shorten your life.
What Causes Dentures to Stop Fitting Well?
Typically, changes to how your dentures feel don’t occur overnight. You don’t suddenly wake up in the morning to prosthetic teeth that feel loose, unbalanced, or uncomfortable. These changes occur slowly over time. One day, you may finally realize your situation, but the problem develops progressively until you find your dentures feel unpleasant or even hurt while in your mouth.
Ill-fitting dentures result from alterations to your jawbone tissue. When a tooth root is lost, the jawbone isn’t stimulated to produce new growth and instead shrinks. As a result, dentures that once felt secure and comfortable in your mouth can feel unstable or painful.
How Often Should You Get Your Dentures Adjusted?
In general, the fit of dentures starts to change negatively in a couple of years; that’s when an adjustment should happen. Your dentist may shave away some of the acrylic on the base to take pressure off certain areas or provide more suction and make the denture stay in place.
If you keep attending your semi-annual dental checkups, your dentist can help you notice subtle changes in fit and maintain them to always give you a stronger bite and smile.
Are Dentures My Only Tooth Replacement Option?
Fortunately, replacing teeth comes with multiple choices: dentures, bridges, and implants. Dental bridges, like dentures, leave the root portion of the tooth empty, leading to jawbone deterioration. On the other hand, implants address the entire missing tooth (including the root structure) to stabilize your smile. Without the same changes, your implants won’t need to be replaced or lead to a sunken look like traditional dentures do.
Although your dentures may not make or break your life expectancy, living with ill-fitting dentures could shorten your life. If you find your prosthetic teeth don’t fit correctly or comfortably in your mouth, don’t delay in getting them adjusted or replaced. Also, consider getting dental implants to replace missing teeth to give yourself the best chances of a full, long life!
About the Author
For Dr. Mayda Ferguson at Second Line Family Dentistry in Metairie, LA, caring for patients is about more than working on teeth. It allows her to vastly improve people’s lives in a clearly noticeable and meaningful way. After she earned her dental degree at the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry at New Orleans, she completed a general practice residency. More than 10 years ago, she became a fellow with the Academy of General Dentistry, a high distinction in the field. All this to say, Dr. Ferguson is highly experienced and well trained to care for our patients. Call us at 504-833-2220 or visit our website to learn more about your tooth replacement choices.