Kids and Teeth from Babyhood to University

Dentures won't always be a snug fit, especially as time goes by. The natural changes that occur in your mouth, such as bone loss, eventually cause dentures to loosen. When this happens, it's time for a reline.

If you continue to wear ill-fitting dentures, you run the risk of suffering from the following oral conditions.  

1. Gum sores

The more your dentures rub against your gum tissue as you eat and speak, the more you irritate your gum tissue. This will cause sores to form on your gum tissue. You could even develop a painful oral condition called stomatitis.

2. Trapped food

Loose dentures allow food to lodge underneath them as you eat. Trapped food, along with oral bacteria, which will feast on that trapped food, will lead to inflammation of your gums.

3. Plaque accumulation

Another problem that occurs with loose-fitting dentures is plaque formation on the dentures themselves. Normally, plaque forms on teeth. But plaque will also form on loose dentures, since oral bacteria and food, both of which lead to plaque formation, find their way under loose dentures.

4. Bone loss

Some bone loss occurs while patients wear dentures. This is normal. But loose-fitting dentures irritate the gums and the alveolar ridge constantly. This constant irritation speeds up the natural bone loss, causing your dentures to loosen further still as your jawbone shrinks.

5. Nutrient deficiency

The inability to chew comfortably will cause you to struggle when eating certain foods, especially foods that require a lot of chewing. Because of the inability to chew properly, you might not be able to eat the foods you need in your diet, from a nutritional sense.

If you can't eat the foods you need, you may then begin to suffer from conditions caused by nutrient deficiency, such as skin disorders and digestion issues.

6. Stomach problems

Loose dentures will affect the way you chew your food. You won't be able to chew as much as you need to. This means that you may swallow larger chunks of food than is healthy. In turn, this will give you stomach problems as your stomach struggles to digest the foods you eat.

7. TMJ disorders

The TMJ is the disc that allows you to speak and eat comfortably. If your dentures don't fit well, this disc will come under constant pressure. Eventually, you may develop TMJ disorders, which can lead to headaches, pain while chewing and even a displaced TMJ.

To ensure that your denture doesn't cause these issues, see your denturist or dentist regularly. With frequent checkups, a dentist can help you to decide when the time is right for a denture relining.