My Denture Won’t Stay In

Question submitted by Stanley

Several years ago, I had some dentures placed. They never quite felt right so I went to a dentist who said he could give me a great fitting denture. When I got the wax try-in, I let the dentist know that they were not staying in. He did not seem too concerned about that and told me that the wax try-in was all about the teeth and not to worry about other factors. However, when they came in, there was hardly any suction. He told me to give it a week and comeback because my gums probably need to settle. I gave it the week, though I saw no improvement. He ground down the dentures and now they feel even more uncomfortable. In fact my bite has been hurting. I don’t know what to do from here.

Stanley

Dear Stanley,

While the wax try-in is for you to get an idea of the appearance of the teeth. He has some problems with the fit of these dentures. Grinding down the teeth was obviously not the right solution. Plus, if he was not very careful about how he did this, he could end up giving you TMJ Disorder.

That being said, even the best fitting dentures are not going to fit perfectly, though they should definitely stay in at the beginning. You should be aware that when you are talking about completely removable dentures, eventually they will not stay in no matter how well fitting they are designed. This is because of facial collapse.

When your teeth were removed, your body recognized that and immediately begin to resorb the minerals in your body in order to be efficient with your body’s resources. While a fantastic way to be a good steward of caring for your body, it does have the unfortunate side effect of slowly shrinking your jaw bone. After about ten years or so, you will no longer be able to keep your dentures in at all.

While getting a new reline for your dentures may help in the short term, it may not. Plus, I’m concerned about the problem with the teeth grinding, as well as the long-term issue.

My suggestion is that you find a dentist with post-doctoral training in placing dental implants. Then, you can get implant supported dentures. This will not only eliminate the need for suction, but will also prevent the problem of facial collapse.

As for your current dentures. I would ask for a refund so that you find a more skilled dentist. A basic tenant of dental work is that it actually stays in your mouth.

This blog is brought to you by Tucson Prosthodontist Dr. Howard Steinberg.