Have Your Dentures Examined if You Notice Any of These Symptoms

Dentures are an ideal solution for people that need to replace lost teeth. From its earliest history, dentistry has sought to give people all, or as many as possible, of their teeth back. Studies have shown that having all of your teeth, real or synthetic, makes eating and speaking much easier than if you try the same activities without a full mouth of teeth. There are two types of dentures that we use to replace teeth. Complete dentures are used when all of the teeth are missing or need to be replaced, whereas partial dentures are used in conjunction with the remaining natural teeth.
Typically dentures do not cause any discomfort as long as they are properly fitted, and you go through the regiment of taking care of them. This must include properly cleaning and storing them. We will ensure that your dentures fit correctly and will take as much time as you need to explain the proper maintenance of these removable teeth. The primary goal for us, as dentists, is to ensure that your mouth remains in optimum health and that you do not have to come back in for a condition caused by ill-fitting dentures. Other than a bad fit, there are two other conditions that can be caused by or affected by dentures.
Stomatitis is a term used, generally, to describe a condition in the mouth which includes inflammation and soreness. It is used widely since there are a number of reasons why a person might have soreness and inflammation of the mouth. Some of the most common examples of stomatitis are canker sores and cold sores, both of which occur for a variety of reasons. Dentures may cause a person to have stomatitis if the dentures are ill-fitting and are rubbing on the sensitive areas of the mouth. Stomatitis can occur virtually anywhere on the mouth, including the tongue, lips, gums, and palate. While not a serious problem, it should be dealt with quickly by visiting our office to ensure that your dentures fit correctly. Stomatitis can affect eating and speaking because of the discomfort it causes.
Angular Cheilitis is another condition sometimes associated with dentures, and one that occurs more often in older patients. Angular Cheilitis is often described as cracked lip corners. Angular Cheilitis can be  caused by a number of factors, including vitamin or nutritional deficiencies, an infection, or an edentulism (which is also known as tooth loss and treated by using dentures). Angular Cheilitis will usually start as a minor condition, where you will notice a tightness in the corners of your mouth followed by the appearance of small flaky pieces of skin in the same spots. Opening your mouth will lead to discomfort. This condition can then advance to where you have an active wound or split in the corners of your mouth which causes pain and discomfort while eating and speaking.
Having one of these conditions may be more of a nuisance than anything else.  However, they can be avoided by wearing dentures that fit correctly so if you notice any of these symptoms, call and schedule a dental exam so that we can determine if they are fitting correctly. 

---

---