What Are Dentures

When a patient no longer has any natural teeth, complete dentures are the traditional method to restore function and appearance. Many patients experience difficulty wearing conventional dentures because of poor stability and decreased chewing function. The use of dental implants to improve the stability and retention of dentures is becoming quite popular. Copyright © The American College of Prosthodontists

How to Properly Apply Denture Adhesive

Patients with ill-fitting dentures should seek the care of a prosthodontist – a dental specialist with three additional years of training beyond dental school who is an expert in fabricating dentures, among other esthetic and restorative procedures.

• Dental professionals agree that the vast majority of dentures that fit well do not require the regular use of denture adhesive. It is important that a prosthodontist evaluate your dentures on a regular basis because your bone and gums may shrink in time, and your dentures will need to be remade or relined when they become too loose. Do not think that you can correct the fit of your dentures by using more and more denture adhesive.
• For your upper denture, apply 3 or 4 dabs of denture cream, the size of a pencil eraser (Fig. 1), on the upper part of the denture that fits against the roof of your mouth (Fig. 2). DO NOT fill the denture with adhesive (Fig. 3). Using too much denture adhesive will not improve the fit of your denture or make them stay in place any better.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

• For your lower denture, distribute 3 or 4 dabs the size of a pencil eraser evenly around the inside area of your lower denture (Fig. 4). DO NOT fill portions of the denture with adhesive (Fig. 5).

Figure 4

Figure 5

• If excessive denture cream oozes out of the denture after you bite on it, then you have used too much.
• Even well-fitting dentures should be removed at night. Dentures that require adhesive use should never be worn overnight with denture adhesive in use. The mouth tissues must be allowed to rest and nighttime denture wear may result in tissue irritation and inflammation.
• Please keep in mind that once your teeth are removed, the changes to your jawbones are constant and ongoing. The fit of your dentures will change with time, and they will need to be relined and/or remade periodically to accommodate these changes.
• The lifespan of a set of complete dentures with continuous use is approximately 5 years. After 5 years, the changes in bone structure or the wearing away of the materials in the denture usually results in the need for new dentures or relining them for a more comfortable fit.

Copyright © The American College of Prosthodontists