Even Dentures Need Regular Check-Ups
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 14:49Patients can end up completely without teeth later in life due to many reasons; the most common cause is the need for removal of all teeth because of dental disease typically liked to tooth decay caused by periodontal disease and oral flora control. Among these reasons, include other less likely causes like tooth developmental deficiencies, which is typically caused by severe levels of malnutrition, drug use, trauma and genetic defects.
Most people are well aware that regular dental checkups are essential to maintaining a healthy smile and strong teeth. Well, the same is true for dentures. If you have false teeth, it’s important to know that regular dental checkups are a must. If you wear dentures, you too are supposed to schedule checkups with a prosthodontist to check you dentures on a regular basis.
The reason why it’s a good idea to have your dentures checked often, in fact, perhaps even more important than a normal dental visit, is that over time, even the ideal fit denture for your gums can become shaky and feel lose. This is a natural process and nothing to worry too much about. Dentures can become lose in time due to natural aging. There is nothing wrong per say, this is merely due to the natural shrinking of gum tissue as you get older. Usually with the lower denture you will start to feel some movement as your false teeth begin to shift about. Loosening of dentures can even lead to elimination of certain foods from your diet due to discomfort, which could impact your good health.
During each checkup your dental specialist will ask you about the stability, comfort and chewing strength of your dentures. He or she will check the foundation, the health of you gums, which is what denture stability is dependent on. During your denture relining and checkup your denturist will make sure to see if the is gum damage due to denture rubbing against your gums. In addition, the prosthodontist will look for scratches or cracks or any signs of infection in your false teeth. Each check up will most likely be a simple case of relining your false teeth to get back the natural, perfect fit. Most problems can be fixed well before they develop into major issues, but it all starts scheduling a checkup with your dentist at least once a year.