Why? and what are my options?
These can occur for a variety of reasons
Shrinkage after extraction of teeth
You must expect shrinkage to occur when an immediate denture (after teeth extraction) has been fitted. When the situation has stabilised reassess possible options to improve - realign or a remake of the said prosthesis Immediate dentures should be deemed as temporary in most cases.
Age of denture
Dentures in a normal healthy mouth have a lifespan of 4-5 years before one starts to find additional problems, mainly loss of quality of fit, general wear to vertical dimension of the denture. In laymen’s terms - your bite!
A poor reproduction at impression stage
Any prosthesis(denture) is only as good as the original impression taken to be made on. Poor impression, poor detail of mouth results in a poor denture fit.
Weight loss
If you have a weight loss (dieting) your dentures (as well as your clothes) will be looser!
Medical issues e.g. chemo therapy
This can cause weight loss. It is always advisable to seek medical advice when this occurs.
It is worth remembering that the mouth is subtly changing environment for all of us. Ill fitting dentures can cause ulcers.
What are my options?
A quick fix scenario (and this is temporary) is the use of some soft lining materials to be fitted by a dental professional. In all honesty when shrinkage occurs what has just been mentioned is not a long term solution.
Most denture problems, other than fracture - slowly creep up on one and we slip into the denture fixative solutions as discussed these should be seen as temporary and not permanent
The best option would be to consider remaking the prosthesis. This would involve the retaking of impressions and a new denture supplied but will result in a more stable situation for you with dentures that fit well.
ps it is important that all prosthesis if all types have a yearly check that all is well with dentures and oral tissues. Ulcers should never be ignored as this could be an indicator for more general health issues.
Dear reader...
if any of these points, in the short article are applicable, I would be more than pleased to help you with any denture problems. I have been manufacturing and providing denture services for over four decades. Please contact me on the number below for further advice..