Getting used to the new prosthesis
After the insertion of a new denture in the lower jaw, it first feels like a large, unpleasant foreign body. One wonders how to talk and eat with this one without everything disturbing. This is quite natural, because the body has to get used to it first.
It is not possible to simulate an identical feeling to natural teeth, but once you have spent some time with the denture, you hardly notice it anymore. It can also be difficult to speak correctly at the beginning, especially when it comes to “s”, “sch”, “f” or “w” sounds. With a little practice, however, even this is not a permanent problem.The cheek muscles and the tongue must learn to hold the prosthesis correctly and make sounds with it.
In addition, the stress can lead to increased bone loss. This is accompanied by frequent relining of the prosthesis in order to adapt it to the new conditions in the mouth again, thus avoiding pressure points and improving the hold. In addition, there are sharp edges of the jawbone in the lower jaw, which also influence the hold.
Regular visits to the dentist are therefore mandatory. Food remains can also get caught under the denture and lead to an unpleasant feeling. The sense of taste can be impaired because large parts of the palate are covered with a plastic plate.
In unsuitable situations the prosthesis can fall out or rattle noises can occur when speaking. If the hold of the lower jaw prosthesis is insufficient, press studs can be anchored in the jaw, onto which the prosthesis is pressed. There are holes in the denture into which the button heads in the lower jaw fit.
This improves the hold of the prosthesis considerably and it is difficult to fall out. However, there must be enough bone substance to insert the implants on which the button is placed. In addition, the patient will incur higher costs.
After inserting a new denture in the lower jaw, smaller pressure points or even inflammation of the oral mucosa may occur. These are due to the new situation and disappear again by themselves after the acclimatization phase. However, if larger pressure points occur, even after a longer period of wearing, an appointment with the dentist is advisable, because then the prosthesis does not fit correctly and the pressure is distributed unevenly, so that the tissue and bone can be damaged.
As a result, the alveolar ridge will degenerate faster. The atrophy of the jaw bones occurs due to the pressure load, because the jaw is not suitable for pressure forces but for tensile forces. If the jawbone degenerates, this not only has dental consequences, but also affects the external appearance, as the facial proportions change, the lower jaw moves “forward” and more wrinkles appear.
Pressure points occur when the dental prosthesis is no longer adapted exactly to the current jaw conditions. This leads to an increased pressure load on the oral mucosa, resulting in painful pressure points. These can become inflamed and lead to further damage in the mouth area.
Therefore they should be removed by the dentist at an early stage. As a prevention, the fit of the prosthesis should be checked regularly. In order to relieve pressure points, the dentist can grind away the disturbing part of the prosthesis.
If there are larger pressure points, a relining or, if the denture has been worn for several years, a reassembly of the total denture is recommended. In this way the denture base is adapted to the situation in the mouth again and the fit of the denture improves considerably. This topic might also be of interest to you: Interim prosthesis
