Checking Choppers
Fortunately - or unfortunately - you no longer have any problems with your upper teeth. They were all removed some years ago and you now wear a full upper denture. Does this mean you can forget about visiting your dentist regularly? Not if you value your health and future comfort!
Regular appointments with the dentist are as important for denture-wearers as for people with natural teeth. The mouth tissue, bony ridges and gums that support dentures are constantly undergoing changes and may impair the dentures' proper function. The bones that held the teeth begin shrinking once the teeth are removed. This process is a life-long problem. Even such general health ailments as vitamin deficiencies, extended illness, drug therapy, weight loss, diabetes or high blood pressure can change the way dentures fit. What was once a fairly stable base eventually becomes a flat, loose, and bothersome problem.
Ill-fitting dentures can seriously damage the mouth, causing abrasions, bruises, inflammation and rapid destruction of the supporting bone. Prolonged irritation of this kind may result in the development of tumors.
It is important to have a dental checkup at least once a year to insure that your dentures are properly adjusted and that your mouth is in good health. Routinely relining the denture base (pink part) can help you keep up the the bone shrinkage and help you maintain your youthful appearance. A properly fitted denture can take ten years off of a person's appearance. That's better than a facelift!