Denture Adjustments for a Customized Fit

Monitoring and denture adjustments allow your dentures to remain useful and comfortable throughout their lifespan. These proactive measures enable your prosthetic teeth to mimic the function of natural teeth without the discomfort of slippage and injury. Here is how denture adjustments can solve common problems that come up when you live with dentures.

Common problems that denture adjustments solve

Dental prosthetics like dentures sustain wear and tear, so it makes sense to keep an eye on them. A proactive approach to dentures can extend their life and ensure that they remain solutions instead of problems. Toward this end, dentists look out for:

• Damage to the base, teeth, or framework of dentures.
• Changes to a patient’s gums and bone structure.
• Persistent pain and discomfort with new dentures.
• Slippage and soreness with older dentures.
• Speech and feeding difficulties with older dentures.
• Odors and infection.

As a dentist checks on the condition and fit of a patient's dentures, they will also track the patient’s oral health. They will monitor the gums for injury, infection, and signs of gum disease, as well as the health of the jawbone, and will make denture adjustments to accommodate bone loss. Dentists also oversee the creation of custom dentures by using precise processes to create, repair or modify dentures.

Making dentures more comfortable with minor adjustments

A dentist will advise a patient to seek help if they have irritation and sore spots from their dentures. The dentist will examine the patient’s mouth and assess the dentures for sharp edges, cracks, bulges, or rough patches. For small imperfections, the dentist will smooth and repair the dentures in-office while the patient waits.

Fixing loose dentures by packing the base

People who wear dentures can experience the gradual loss of gum and bone tissue. Therefore, even if their dentures remain in mint condition, the patient will eventually experience slippage and discomfort. Dentists can ensure the perfect fit of dentures with periodic relining. The process involves the following:

• The dentist does a visual exam of the patient’s mouth to evaluate the gums and overall dental arches.
• X-rays and other medical imaging are taken to create a complete picture of the gums and facial bones.
• The dentist takes a 3D intra-oral scan or physical mold of the patient’s mouth.
• The dentist uses medical imaging and mold to design a custom base that hugs every contour of the patient’s gums.
• Lastly, the dentist oversees the addition of the new “base” to the inner surface of the existing base.

From the wearer's perspective, the end product is a set of dentures that feel as good as new. Relining enables a person to extend the life of their dentures as long as possible. However, relining can only do so much.

Rebasing and replacement

Denture rebasing follows a fabrication process that is somewhat similar to relining. Instead of adding new layers to an existing base, however, rebasing uses a mold of the patient’s gums to fabricate a new base. A dentist then oversees the transfer of the artificial teeth from the old base to the new one.

Sometimes, dentists will recommend outright replacement of dentures in case of severe wear or damage. They will also advise new dentures for patients who experience drastic changes in their mouth and lower face.