Your Dentist Can Assess Your Denture Adjustments Needs

Denture adjustments can restore the fit of your dentures when they start to slip. The maintenance phase of dentures ensures that the prosthetic teeth continue to mimic the function of natural teeth. This means regular assessments where your dentist checks on the shape and integrity of your dentures.

These routine dental visits are also ideal for keeping an eye on your oral health. Read on to learn how dentists perform periodic assessments for denture adjustments.

Why and when patients need denture adjustments

A person's bone structure changes over time, and this includes the bones in the lower face. A dentist uses these facial bones as the blueprint for custom dentures to create a perfect fit.

People with missing teeth will experience constant changes to their gums and jaws, which affects the functionality of their dentures. Over time, the dentures may start to slip and cause discomfort when the person speaks or eats. This is where proactive approaches come in.

Routine dental visits enable a dentist to track changes in the size and shape of a patient’s jaw. The dentist also assesses the condition and fit of the patient's dentures, using this information to repair or refit the prosthetic teeth.

How dentists perform assessments for dentures

The first stage of an assessment is patient input, where the person wearing the dentures describes their experience. Dentists take their patients through a list of questions that touch on ease of use, comfort, and denture hygiene. They also make it a point to determine if their patient experiences pain, sores, and other downsides of ill-fitting dentures.

Next, the dentist does a visual exam to check on the state of the soft tissues in the mouth. They check for sores and other signs of injury resulting from their dentures. The location of a sore spot or injury lets the dentist know where they need to make adjustments to the dentures.

Lastly, the dentist will use medical imaging to evaluate the health of the patient’s mouth. This part of the exam lets the dentist track the rate at which the gums and jawbone change. They use the information to design a set of adjustments that restore the dentures to a snug fit. Medical imaging is also important as an early warning system if the patient develops an oral health issue.

Denture adjustments after assessment

The dentist uses information from the assessment phase to craft dentures that are comfortable and fully functional. They will use a mold or intraoral scan of the patient’s mouth to make one of the following denture adjustments:

• Relining the base of the dentures to eliminate slippage
• Replacing the base of the dentures to accommodate significant changes to the patient’s jawbone and gums
• Repairing the base, palate, framework, or artificial teeth of the dentures

These adjustments all extend the lifespan of dentures, which cuts costs in the long term. They also prevent scenarios where minor damage or wear creates a major problem that forces a person to replace their dentures altogether.