When you have lost a mouthful of teeth, dentures can provide
a quick, relatively affordable means of restoring chewing function and
aesthetic appeal to your smile. However, some people also struggle with
underlying complicating factors that may make denture design and fitting more
challenging than usual.
Fortunately, skilled dentistry and modern dental techniques
can overcome these barriers to enjoying comfortable, secure, properly fitting
dentures. Here are some examples of specific problems and their solutions.
Malocclusion
Dentists use the term malocclusion to describe a bite
misalignment. Any inconsistency in the way your upper and lower teeth come
together can result in premature tooth wear, jaw pain, tooth discomfort, and
inefficient chewing. Malocclusion may stem from a hereditary or acquired jaw
alignment abnormality. It may also occur due to shifting teeth or
irregularities in the number of teeth.
Malocclusion often takes the form of an overbite, in which
the upper front teeth jut out in relation to the lower front teeth. But if your
upper and lower jawbones are out of alignment in any way, you need dentures
that will provide the most comfortable and efficient bite possible despite this
irregularity. An uneven bite will not only cause your dentures to wear down
faster, but it may also promote looseness or slippage as the uneven bite
imparts unnatural pressures to the denture plates.
Your dentist may compensate for a misalignment between your
upper and lower jaws to some degree. The secret lies in angling the teeth in
the denture plates so that the tooth surfaces come together properly.
Tori
If you feel even, bony lumps in your palate or around your
lower teeth, you may have tori. Tori are harmless bone accumulations that may
develop for a variety of reasons, including bruxism (chronic tooth grinding).
While many people live with tori without any significant discomfort,
individuals in need of dentures may find that these lumps interfere with
traditional dentures.
A skilled dentist can often fabricate comfortable,
well-fitted dentures despite the presence of tori. A combination of
thermoplastic, acrylic resin, and a soft lining material can produce an exact
negative impression of the tori, which then goes into the contours of the final
denture plate. The resulting plate accommodates the tori with great precision,
although (like other dentures) it may need occasional adjustment.
Implant-based dentures can provide another option for
patients who suffer from easily irritated tori. The implantation of individual
lower teeth, for instance, does away with the need for any plate or lining that
might rub against the tori. Since implanted upper dentures don't need suction
to stay in place, you may have no need for an upper plate that might rub
against tori on your palate.
Gagging Problems
Some people have more sensitive gag reflexes than others. If
you gag easily, you may worry that the presence of an upper denture plate may
constantly trigger this reflex. Gagging may prove especially troublesome when
your body has not yet gotten accustomed to having a foreign object on the
palate, interpreting it instead as a potential choking hazard.
If you can't get used to the feeling of an upper denture
plate, you may want to look into palateless dentures. These dentures cover the
upper dental ridge in a horseshoe shape, with no plate extending over the
palate. Your dentist secures the denture with a couple of locator posts
implanted into the jaw or inserted into prepared teeth.
If you never thought you could live comfortably with
dentures due to a complicating factor, you owe it to yourself to discover your
available options at Premier
Dentures and Implants. Contact our office today to schedule an appointment.
