Ways of Preparing Your Mouth for First-Time Dentures

 

When you’ve suffered from tooth loss, whether it’s missing some or all of your teeth, it’s important to replace the teeth either with dentures or dental implants to prevent bone loss of your jaw.

A little preparation is needed prior to receiving your first set of dentures to ensure that you are comfortable and the fit and appearance are best for your mouth.

Preparing for Prosthetic Teeth

When teeth are lost, replacing them with dentures is a good idea. Sometimes alveoloplasty is required. This is a procedure performed by our skilled staff that will smooth and reshape the jawbone ridge to prepare it for dentures. This procedure greatly increases the comfort of wearing dentures.

Occasionally, new bone growth is found on top of the existing jaw bone and that will have to be removed. This is called exostosis and is necessary for your dentures to fit properly.

We implore you not to feel discouraged if you learn that you may require pre-prosthetic surgery, but dentoalveolar surgery can often be a very important step to ensuring that your dentures fit correctly. Ill-fitting dentures are not only a frustration to you, but they can have a negative effect on your not only your oral health, but your overall health as well.

Let’s Discuss Dentures Today

Whether you’re missing some or all of your teeth, please consider making an appointment with us to discuss replacing your teeth with dentures. Our dentists will help you prepare for your dentures by giving you a complete exam and discussing your next steps.

Dentures are natural looking and will greatly improve your quality of life! Imagine being able to enjoy the foods you love and share your beautiful smile with the world without feeling embarrassed or restricted by missing teeth! We look forward to helping you restore your smile and obtain optimal oral health.

What Exactly Is Denture Halitosis?

 

The medical term halitosis refers to a chronic condition of bad breath. It is something that mints and other types of breath fresheners are not effective against. It is not like the bad breath that results from eating a burger loaded with onions.

Instead, it is something that lingers for a longer period of time and is often a sign of a serious problem. What many do not realize is there is also something known as denture halitosis. It is another condition people need to learn about.

The Basics of Denture Halitosis

Whether you want to admit it or not, the mouth is full of bacteria and debris. Even if you brush and floss regularly, the bacteria and debris are still there. The bacteria and debris accumulate on natural teeth.

They can also accumulate in the same way on dentures. While the bacteria sit on the teeth, they produce sulfur compounds. These compounds are not predictable and can cause the bad breath and the condition known as halitosis or denture halitosis.

Fixing the Problem

It is not enough to know what denture halitosis is. It is also a good idea to learn what to do about it. There are several steps to take that can reduce the bad breath that comes from denture halitosis.

  • Keep the dentures clean – If denture halitosis is the result of bacteria and debris, then one solution is to remove the bacteria and debris. A good brushing and soaking the dentures overnight is one way to clean them better
  • Drink more water – Drinking water does many good things for the body. It can also wash away the debris on the dentures that help lead to denture halitosis. It also helps prevent dry mouth that can lead to more bacterial growth.
  • Ditch the dentures – A drastic solution is to replace the dentures with something more permanent such as dental implants. This can stop the denture halitosis, but it does not mean that you can stop cleaning your teeth and gums. You could still risk dealing with halitosis, even when you find a permanent replacement for your dentures.

You do not have to accept the fate of denture halitosis. There are ways to manage it. For more information about what you can do, contact the dental professionals at our offices to schedule an appointment.