Wearing anything that doesn’t fit properly is just no fun. From tight shoes to saggy pants, when our clothes don’t fit our body, it’s time to consider replacing the them. The same is true with a denture – when it doesn’t fit comfortably, daily habits of speaking and chewing can become frustrating and even painful. Discomfort is obviously the number one reason patients decide to get a new denture, but there are other reasons that prompt a visit to the denturist with the goal of having new teeth made.
A Broken Appliance is No Fun to Wear
Accidents happen, and life can throw a curveball at us sometimes. If the curveball happens to land on your denture, it’s not going to end well. While strong, dentures are not indestructible, and can become weak from long-time wear and minor fixes. When a denture breaks, it becomes almost impossible to wear due to the resulting instability and challenges it creates while chewing and talking. The instability can also cause gums to become inflamed as the broken denture rubs against tissue.
Grinding Has Worn Your Denture
One thing that natural teeth and all forms of dentures have in common is that grinding (bruxism) can wear both natural and artificial teeth. Over time, you may notice that the teeth in your denture appear short or misshapen. Though dentures are made from highly durable materials, the effect of daily grinding can flatten even the best made denture, changing a person’s bite and potentially leading to jaw joint discomfort. Grinding isn’t usually a balanced force, and happens more often on certain teeth, causing inflammation of gum and bone in these areas.
Your Denture is Too Heavily Stained
Our previous blog gives tips on how to keep your denture looking clean and bright, something that involves daily maintenance of appliances. Unfortunately, when dentures have not been brushed and or soaked on a daily basis, certain stains become ingrained in the acrylic and can no longer be removed. Wearing a stained denture dulls a person’s smile and gives an older look to a young-at-heart individual. A new denture can restore a person’s quality of smile and confidence.
Your Denture No Longer Fits
Just like a broken denture is no fun to wear, so is a denture that no longer fits. A denture that moves during speech and eating, along with rubbing on gum tissue and causing sore spots, are typical frustrations that develop when a person’s mouth becomes smaller due to weight loss, natural aging, illness, or trauma. Having a new denture made to fit your mouth not only restores comfort and functionality, it also restores the contours of the face, giving a more youthful look.
