Why does my denture need adjusting?

 

Many denture wearers are excited to get their new dentures completed but often become frustrated when they have discomfort after they start to wear them. Some just take them out and give up on wearing them. This can be especially true of patients with new partial dentures that are replacing posterior teeth. It is unfortunate when this happens since most dentures can be made more comfortable by their dentists performing appropriate denture adjustments.

There are a number of reasons that dentures need adjusting. Sometimes the bite is uneven and causes some pain and unintended loosening of the denture. Sometimes a denture border can be over extended, causing sores where the perifery contacts the mucosa. Other times the internal border is pressing on part of the patients maxilla or mandible that has an under cut and this can cause a sore to form from the excessive pressure. 

Additional dentures sometimes need relieving because a part of the patient's ridge can't tolerate any pressure. When this happens, the patient usually reports that they have pain when they are chewing with their new denture. Fortunately dentists are well trained in using PIP paste to pinpoint possible pressure points and once these have been detected they can easily be relieved. 

If you are have a new denture that you are unhappy with a visit to your dentist is in order and if he or she can't fix your issue, maybe it is time to seek a second opinion from another dentist. Unfortunately, fabricating well fitting dentures has sometimes taken a back seat in some dentists minds since implant dentistry seems to be a better ( and more profitable) option. Adjusting dentures to fit better can be time consuming and not terribly profitable, so some dentists are not eager to spend the time needed to improve an existing dentures wearability.