What are my tooth replacement options?
There are lots of treatments available if your dentures start to become loose. Some involve taking the dentures you already have and securing them more effectively in your mouth, while others involve making a whole new set of dentures and fixing them to your jaw in a different way, so you won’t suffer similar problems in the future. Many people who need dentures today will select one of these more modern procedures to avoid loose dentures in ten or twenty years’ time.
Should I be attending regular appointments to check my dentures?
The most important thing to remember if you have loose dentures is not to try and fix them yourself! You should be attending regular appointments with your dentist anyway, as this is an essential part of oral health whether you have false teeth or not, but at the first sign of a problem with your dentures make an appointment at the surgery. The earlier the problem is identified, the easier, and often cheaper, it may be to fix it.
Depending on how embarrassing or painful your loose dentures are, and depending on how much money you have to invest in treatment, will affect which of the different remedies you choose. After all, if you have only one false tooth that is a little loose and not causing any serious oral or gastric health problems, you are less likely to invest in major oral surgery than someone who has an old set of full dentures that are slipping out of their mouth every time they try to speak. Your dentist is the best person to advise you of the different treatment options and whether any of them are suitable for your condition.
What can be done?
If your dentures are still quite new and you feel they don’t fit properly, then don’t suffer in silence. It is the responsibility of the dentist to make sure they send you away with secure and comfortable dentures, and, if you feel that your false teeth have still not bedded in after two or three months, then go back to the surgery and ask for some help and advice. The problem may be an easy one to fix, and it will save you lots of discomfort and worry.
If your dentist decides that you would benefit from one of the more modern procedures that involve oral surgery, do not worry. Most treatments of this kind are carried out under a local anaesthetic, without you needing to spend any time in hospital. You may experience some pain and difficulty eating and speaking for a few days, but these procedures then guarantee secure and problem-free dentures for many years; a much better alternative to struggling on with uncomfortable, loose dentures for the rest of your life.