Loose Dentures

Why do dentures get loose over time?

The simple answer is in your bones. Bones, just like muscles, shrink over time if they are not used. When you lose your teeth, the bone starts to shrink away. Over many years, the bone that held your denture gets too small to hold it anymore, and the denture gets loose.

Denture wearers typically go through an experience like this:

• Teeth are taken out and a set of dentures is made for the first time
• These dentures work very well
• After 5-10 years, they start to get loose
• A second set of dentures is made, but they don’t work as well as the first set
• The patient is frustrated and angry
• The patient eventually has to start using Fixodent or other denture adhesive, which is messy and uncomfortable
• Eventually, the patient needs a third set of dentures
• By this time, the dentures are barely usable, and often times the lower denture hurts to wear

Can we fix the problem? Yes!

The first step is to stop the bone loss. The best way to do that is to use dental implants. When dental implants are present, just like when teeth are present, the bone does not shrink!

The second step is to make a more stable denture. Once we have put in implants and let the body heal, we then can make an attachment that secures the denture to the implant.

Is this all too confusing to understand? Don’t worry, we offer free consultations for denture wearers. Please come by.

For more information about what we do with dental implants, please read the section titled “Alternatives to conventional dentures” on the page discussing options for replacing all teeth