Diagnosis
The dentist makes the diagnosis by looking into the mouth. If the pressure point is already pronounced, the area is reddened and swollen. For further clarification, the dentist palpates the surrounding area and looks how far the pain radiates.
If no redness is visible, the dentist has various impression materials at his disposal with which he can precisely localize the painful area. To do this, he injects a liquid mass onto the denture, places it in the mouth and lets it bite. After the hardening of the mass, the overly high area is pressed through the impression material and can be specifically treated.
These symptoms may indicate an inflammation under the prosthesis
If the inflammation underneath the denture is caused by a pressure point, there is a slight pressure on the gums or the ridge of the jaw at the beginning of the symptoms. After some time, and especially when chewing, this pressure increases until a pain occurs when the prosthesis is loaded. This is also the main symptom.
The affected area reddens in the beginning, but can also turn white in the middle due to strong pressure. Often the area swells and an open wound develops, which is lined with a slightly yellowish wound coating. In case of incorrect loading, it can happen that the prosthesis no longer fits properly.
For example, one-sided loading causes the prosthesis to lift off on the opposite side and one area is put under excessive load. This in turn creates a pressure point that can be very painful. If additional sensory disturbances occur in the area of the inflamed area, such as numbness of the skin/mucosa, and a strong swelling develops, a visit to the doctor should not be delayed too much longer, as this could be a tumor.
Treatment/Therapy
In the simplest case of a pressure point, the dentist localizes the affected region and grinds the denture there in a targeted manner. This means that he removes the part that interferes with the denture with a milling cutter and additionally smoothes the denture plastic. This means that the area is then less stressed and the pressure is again better distributed over the entire surrounding region.
In order to obtain a precise reduction of the acrylic, the dentist usually grinds very carefully and lets the patient test again and again whether the area still hurts when biting together.To improve wound healing, he applies a cortisone containing preparation to the affected area at the end of treatment and reinserts the prosthesis. In this way the ointment can work well there for a longer period of time and heal. In the event of bone loss or incorrect loading of the prosthesis, the dentist must reline the prosthesis.
In this type of treatment, the dentist injects an impression material on the underside of the denture and then puts it in the mouth. After the hardening of the mass, the denture is reworked in the dental laboratory and new denture plastic is applied to the impression area. This way the denture fits perfectly again and can still be worn. If a tumor is responsible for the inflammation, the treatment must be carried out by an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon in the hospital. This usually involves the removal of the tumor and the surrounding tissue, followed by further therapy planning.