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Denture Pain: Its Causes And Its Treatment

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Asian dentist holding pen pointing to the dentures and is describing the problem of teeth.

If you’ve ever worn dentures, you’re fully aware of the pain they can cause. This is especially true during the early stages, because your gum tissue is still in shock from tooth extraction. During this time, it is important to be careful of what you eat, as excessive chewing and tougher foods can put added pressure on the delicate tissue of the gums and cause denture pain.

Causes Of Denture Pain

Eating Habits

It’s vitally important to take care of your gum tissue at this stage, because without the structure of teeth present, it can easily deteriorate over time. Until your dentures feel more normal, stick to softer foods like soups and pastas. Denture wearers will notice another phase similar to this years later, because as the gum and supporting bone eventually erodes over time, your dentures remain the same. This can cause them to slip or slide around the mouth occasionally, or if the movement is less drastic it can rub certain areas repeatedly and cause sores.

Improper Oral Hygiene

Just because you have false teeth doesn’t remove you from practicing good oral hygiene. Once again, this is most important in the early stages of adjustment. Even without your natural teeth, your mouth still produces the same level of bacteria as before, and if it gets out of control you can have severe difficulty in getting your gums to heal once the teeth have been removed. Whether you leave them in or remove them for cleaning, you should still brush, floss, and rinse just like they were the real deal.

Denture Care

False teeth should always be removed at night and in some cases for 24 hours or more if sore spots develop on the gums. They should be checked yearly, relined every 2-3 years, and replaced every 5-6 years depending on the how badly your gum tissue has eroded and the fit at the time.

Denture Pain Treatment

If you’re experiencing pain from new dentures, there are a few options at your disposal. Anti-inflammatory pain relievers can be of some help, but often take more time to provide relief than you’d like. Among the best solutions that you can use topically to help soothe oral pain is peppermint oil. It has a cooling effect, and because it is an oil it will quickly absorb into the tissues. It has also been known to help your mouth produce more saliva, which because it is full of oxygen, will help eliminate bacteria that can cause or worsen swelling, inflammation, and pain in the gums from ill fitting dentures.

Be careful in choosing products to clean your dentures, because some of them contain ingredients that can increase bacteria growth, which in turn will increase the chances of irritation and pain while wearing dentures.

Did it ever occur to you that the least expensive and painful option might be found in nature? Why not try a great product that provides natural relief?