From accidents or injuries to underlying dental conditions such as tooth decay or gum disease, there are many ways you can lose one or more teeth. It is possible to live with an incomplete smile, but missing teeth can affect your ability to chew and speak, and reduce your self-esteem.
If you are one of the 120 million Americans who have lost at least one tooth, you can use dentures to restore your smile. Of course, dentures are not permanent, so there may be times when they need to be replaced. With the help of your dentist, this guide will tell you it’s time to change your dentures.
1. Loose dentures
Your dentures are put in your mouth without moving. This coordination ensures that you can chew and speak without the risk of denture shifting and embarrassment.
If your dentures feel loose or loose, consult your dentist. In addition to the actual movement and feeling that they have begun to relax, you may hear a clicking sound when eating or talking.
There are many reasons for loose dentures. In most cases, changes in the oral cavity, other teeth, and the gum tissue will affect the suitability of the denture.
Another reason is that the material of the denture is worn out. This deterioration is the next sign that it needs to be replaced.
2. Fragile, damaged or stained dentures
As you age, improper care and wear can weaken, break and stain your dentures. Consider checking your dentures in detail on a regular basis to determine if they are beginning to deteriorate or appear stained.
If the denture material or denture is damaged or cracked, the denture should be replaced. Proper cleaning of dentures can reduce the risk of denture discolouration, but if you cannot remove stains, consider replacing dentures.
Check the bottom of your dentures. Without a good base, dentures cannot fit in your mouth comfortably. If the base is bent or warped, it is time to replace it.
3. Dentures can cause pain and discomfort
When you first started wearing dentures, some discomfort is normal. Once you get used to wearing dentures, your dentures will not cause pain or discomfort. If the denture is painful to wear, it means that there is a potential problem with the quality and fit of the denture.
If the denture is broken, bent, or does not fit your mouth completely, the denture can irritate your gum tissue, the inside of your mouth, and even your tongue. This irritation can be painful, causing scratching and squeezing, until the tissues begin to bleed. The pain will be severe and it is no longer possible to continue wearing dentures.
In addition, many people develop oral ulcers where dentures rub the mouth or gum tissue. Although mouth ulcers are painful, they are also dangerous. Food scraps and bacteria may accumulate in these ulcers and cause infections, requiring antibiotics to be prescribed.
4. Old dentures
Fit, appearance and feel are important factors in determining when you need to replace dentures, but their age is also important. Again, dentures are durable, but they are not permanent.
In spite of no other symptoms, most experts recommend replacing dentures every five to seven years. If you want to restore your smile to an attractive and functional state, dentures are a good choice, but dentures need to be replaced at some point.
