What if my dentures move when I eat?
One of the oldest and most widely-used treatments for loose dentures are denture adhesives, which can be found on every supermarket and pharmacy shelf. These products have been around for decades and they have an important role to play in helping denture wearers feel more comfortable and secure. Some people whose dentures fit them perfectly like to use denture adhesive, just to make sure their false teeth won’t move about unexpectedly and to help them eat foods that could otherwise be problematic. However, the problems occur when people who have very loose-fitting dentures use denture adhesive all the time, just to hold their false teeth in place for ordinary, everyday activities.
What are the side effects of using denture adhesive?
Not only is it a false economy to buy and use tubes and tubes of denture adhesive thinking it will be a long-term solution to loose dentures, but as some of these products contain substances like zinc, you can actually be doing yourself some harm. As long as you are only using the adhesive sparingly and following the instructions, then you are in no danger. But when patients with loose dentures are going through several tubes a day rather than seeking a more long-lasting solution at the dental office, then the adhesive can actually cause health problems, rather than fix them.
What types of adhesives are there?
There are two different types of denture adhesive on the market; powders and pastes. The powder is easier to rinse off your dentures but takes a bit more work to use. First, you have to rinse the dentures before sprinkling a fine layer of the powder on the side that sits on your gums and then slides them into place. Pastes are easier to apply, but are quite sticky and difficult to remove completely from the plate, which can make keeping your mouth clean a great deal more complicated. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing a denture adhesive, but it may take a few attempts before you figure out if you prefer powders or pastes, and a few more attempts before you find a brand that suits you.