Many people think that false teeth are a great way of eliminating dental problems, but this solution has its challenges. I see patients every day who tell me that their dentures are loose and who feel that this problem is unique to them. I often need to remind myself that this situation is new for patients and that these are issues that they rarely discuss with their friends.

Let’s go through what is actually happening.

The body is an incredible machine! It constantly conserves energy and needs stimulation to continue growing. When teeth are extracted it causes the bone that was supporting them to shrink away because the roots have been taken out as well. The bigger issue is that the bone continues to deteriorate until there is very little left to support new dentures. This bone loss can be gradual or can happen very quickly; this occurrence isn’t age-related, it’s simply due to the lack of stimulation.

Everyone experiences this. The only difference between patients who can function with bone loss and those who can’t, is their ability to adapt to limited functionality. When I look at the lack of denture stability from one patient to the other, dentures aren’t tighter from one to the other. Nonetheless, some patients say that they can eat anything while others say they hate their dentures and nothing seems to be working. Whether or not they are truthful about their reality, I will never know.

That being said, I hope that patients are honest about their experience so that they can receive the proper care and adequate solutions. Just to give you an idea of how frequently patients convince themselves that this is their new norm and continue to suffer through poorly fitting dentures, you only need to look at a nursing home menu; all soft foods.

Now, knowing all of these facts, what is my role? My role is to inform and educate my patients about what to expect and what solutions are available to them to eliminate this problem. Luckily, in this day and age, we have amazing solutions that are easily accessible. No one has to continue wearing an uncomfortable, ill-fitting denture; they can find a permanent solution that allows teeth to remain in place for good! Give us a call to find out more.