Can’t Keep My Dentures In

Question submitted by: Alison

I’ve been in dentures for 20 years. Lately, I can’t keep them in. Not even with adhesives. I was told I don’t have any ridge left to keep in the dentures. What do I do? I can hardly eat.

Alison

Dear Alison,

I am sorry this is happening to you. It does not sound like the dentist who provided you with your dentures twenty years ago warned you about the danger of facial collapse with long term use of removable dentures. That bothers me and has put you in a difficult situation.

When teeth are removed, your body immediately begins to resorb the minerals in your jawbone. It does this because it recognizes that you no longer have any teeth roots to support. It takes the minerals that it would normally use in your jawbone in order to support your teeth and moves them to where they are more needed. Unfortunately, that means as more minerals are resorbed, the more your jawbone shrinks. That is why you can’t keep your dentures in now. This is what is known as facial collapse.

The way to fix this is with a bone grafting procedure, which will build back up your jawbone. Once that is completed, you have a couple of choices. You can again get removable dentures. They will stay in with the new bone. Just be aware that the same cycle of bone loss will begin.

Your second option is to get implant supported dentures. This is when you have dental implants placed, usually between four and eight, and then anchor your dentures to them. The implants not only completely secure your dentures, but they signal to your body that you still have teeth in your mouth that leaves your jawbone completely intact.

This blog is brought to you by a skilled Tucson prosthodontist Dr. Howard Steinberg.