In most cases removable partial dentures are a cost effective and successful replacement for
“missing teeth” but as with all removable prosthetic treatment some risk exists depending on how well you look after your own teeth and gums and how you maintain your denture.
Most common risks and consequences include:
- Tooth Decay/Oral infection or inflammation: good oral hygiene is very important. Remove your
denture when cleaning your natural teeth. Do not allow food remains to gather around clasps or hooks. If possible, rinse and clean after each meal and remove denture during sleep - Soreness: During the settling process the denture may rub or pressure your teeth or gums. Sore spots and/or ulcers may occur soon after the denture is fitted. Persevere but always return for adjustment(s) and fine tuning if symptoms persist.
- Speaking: may be altered for a short period of time until the tongue and your lips adjust to the new denture. Speech improvement usually occurs very quickly.
- Eating: chewing your food may be altered depending on variables such as stability, possible discomfort and the ability to provide the degree of retention – in time and with practice this will usually improve
- Taste and texture: Materials used for the construction of dentures may alter your taste of food, especially if the dentures are not cleaned properly. On the odd occasion rough or matt areas can be felt, return to our Denture Clinic if of concern
- Staining/Plaque: The build-up of plaque and stain on dentures can be minimised by applying techniques as recommend by your Dental Practitioner. Apart from good oral hygiene avoiding such items as coffee, tea certain spices and tobacco to reduce staining. Inappropriate and/or irregular cleaning can cause for plaque and bacteria to build up. This bacteria can be ingested.
- Odour: Tiny food debris can build up and therefore cause odour.
- Food under denture or around clasps: often unavoidable as food may get into the space between the denture and your gums or teeth during eating. The denture should be removed for cleaning possibly after each meal.
- Breakage or chipping: No parts are unbreakable. Just like your natural teeth can break, dentures can also become damaged. Biting into hard food, trauma to the mouth or dropping the denture are possible causes of causing breakage, chipping or loss of clasps.
- Reline/Remake: With recently extracted teeth the shape and size of your gums and bone will change overtime therefore a new fit of your denture may be needed. Dentures may well need to be relined or renewed depending on age and condition.