Are You Afraid to Go to the Dentist?

New denture wearers often have a variety of questions to ask about their false teeth. While many of these questions have to do with comfort and general wear, others involve specific concerns. Wearing loose dentures is a concern for many individuals and denture adhesives can help. The adhesives have some benefits above and beyond just keeping your false teeth in place.

They Reduce Soreness 

Loose dentures can rub against the gums. This type of rubbing can thicken and strengthen the tissues so they can better retain the pressure of daily denture use. This is one reason why your dentist may suggest that you skip the denture cream while you first get used to your dentures.

Gum tissues swelling will reduce as gums strengthen, but certain parts of the dentures can rub strongly against the gums. For example, the back edge of each denture may push back against the previous molar area as you eat meat and hard foods that need to be ground down. This can create sores over time and denture cream can keep the dentures from creating sores.

Denture sores are painful and they also leave an access point for bacteria to infect your gums. If an infection develops, you may need treatment. Topical antibacterial and antifungal creams, oral antibiotics, and special mouth rinses may all be part of the treatment regimen. It is best to avoid infections instead of having to rely on treatments to cure them

They Can Help You Speak

Many people have trouble speaking with new dentures and it is wise to bite down on the dentures before talking so the false teeth are positioned correctly. However, even if you do this, the teeth can shift and move when you talk. This is especially true when you say "th" and "s" sounds where the tongue thrusts against the teeth to form the words. You are likely to lisp at first when making these sounds.

If your dentures remain secure and do not move when you speak, then it is much easier to get used to talking correctly without developing a lisp. Denture creams keep them in place so you can speak clearly.

If you do use denture cream, you will still need to practicing talking. Speak out loud often to yourself. Read out loud, repeat words you have trouble with, talk on the phone, and start conversations with people outside the home. You may want to keep conversations between family members at first if you are uncomfortable speaking.

For more information about denture adhesives, talk to dentists like Edens Greg DMD.