My Dentures Make Me Gag

Question submitted by Laurie

I don’t quite know what to do about my dentures. They’re not the most comfortable things. I could live with that, but what I’m really struggling with is how much they make me gag. I’ve not been wearing them at home at all. Is there any way to fix this? I’ve been avoiding going out more and more. I don’t want to feel like I am trapped at home because It’s too embarrassing to go out.

Laurie

Dear Laurie,

You are not alone in struggling with dentures. Your upper dentures are held in by suction, while your lower dentures rest on the ridge of your lower jawbone. Because of the need for suction on the upper denture, there needs to be a firm plate there. There are a couple of options.

The best option is to get implant supported dentures (pictured above). These use dental implants and then your dentures are attached to them. Because they’re retained by the implants, you will not need the plate at all. That means no more gagging. You can get implant supported dentures on both your upper and lower arch.

The downside is it is expensive. If you can only do it on one arch, it is more important on the lower arch than the upper one. This is because when your teeth were removed, your body instantly recognizes that. In an effort to be as efficient with your body’s resources as possible, and knowing you no longer have teeth to support, your body begins to resorb the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body. This has the unfortunate side effect of slowly shrinking your jawbone.

In about ten or so years, you will no longer have enough jawbone left to retain your dentures. This is known as facial collapse. Having dental implants in your jawbone, signals to your body that you still have teeth. Because of that, it leaves your jawbone intact.

Obviously, it is best if you get them for both arches, but if you can only get one, the bottom arch is where I’d start. That doesn’t mean you will be stuck with the gagging up top.

A dentist in Lancashire, England has developed procedure that cuts the upper denture plate in a way that keeps it from going past the vibrating line. This can prevent patients from gagging. It doesn’t always work, but has helped many patients who struggle with gagging.

I hope this helps you.
This blog is brought to you by Tucson prosthodontist Dr. Howard Steinberg.