Multiple Reasons to Reconsider Dentures

Although millions of satisfied Americans wake every morning and insert a pair of full dentures, millions more may dread that daily ritual on account of problems with their "false teeth." More than half of all denture wearers encounter problems such as excessive or sparse salivation, decreased chewing ability, mouth sores, cosmetic damage, speech impediments, and dramatic dental procedures may all be reason enough to encourage non-denture wearers to seek alternative treatment before resorting to complete removal of all of one's teeth.

A simple issue, but perhaps the first noticeable for many patients, is a newly acquired habit of excessive salivation, or a thoroughly lacking presence of saliva. This is brought about by an inability of the mouth to determine the difference between food and the replacement teeth until nearby tissue becomes used to the presence of dentures. Dry mouth is often a greater concern due to the fact that moisture typically provides a securing seal between the palates and dentures, and thus, a lack thereof can cause failed adhesion. Once again, the process of becoming "used to" the dentures will take months, and, while these issues are often simple, they may not resolve themselves immediately.

While not technically a medical issue, seeing as how it does not directly harm one's health, another negative aspect of wearing dentures that many patients will notice is a dramatically decreased chewing ability. This is often limiting on the types of food one can eat, in addition to requiring an individual to take twice as long to chew his or her food. In any case, it is advisable to always eat a varied diet, as limitations caused by masticating ability (often before dentures, with heavy cavitation) can eventually lead to malnourishment. Besides a "natural" or "perfect" fit, multiple denture adhesives are available to increase mouth-to-denture grip and thus encourage chewing of foods that may have been previously inedible for the wearer.