Dentures and Mouth Ulcers: A Combination That Is Easy to Avoid
Mouth ulcers occur when the delicate tissue inside your mouth (your mucus membrane) becomes damaged. In many instances, this damage occurs due to ongoing friction against a certain point inside your mouth. This is why people who bite the inside of their cheeks on a regular basis can be susceptible to mouth ulcers. It also means that people who wear dentures might be affected by mouth ulcers, since the denture is essentially a foreign object placed inside your mouth, where friction can sometimes arise as a result of normal usage. So how can you prevent this friction from happening? And what should you do if you find yourself developing mouth ulcers?
An Improper Fit
Please be aware that excessive friction caused by your dentures generally only occurs when your dentures don't fit properly. This is actually quite common when you've had your dentures for a number of years. Gradual recession of your gums can occur due to gum disease, causing the bones supporting any natural teeth to be lost. Your jawbone also shrinks with age, however minutely this might be. It doesn't take much change in the size and shape of your gums and jawbone to cause your dentures to become ill-fitting. This change is gradual, so it's not as though you're going to wake up one morning and find that your dentures are causing mouth ulcers. It's important to be mindful of the possibility of mouth ulcers with dentures, so that you can take the appropriate action.
Key Signs
There are a few key signs of mouth ulcers that can be caused by your dentures. You might have a noticeable pain in your mouth, particularly when you consume food or drink that is acidic in nature (such as anything with vinegar or citrus). You can also remove your dentures and look for the actual ulcers. These might show up as spots of reddish inflammation, or sometimes white dots (when the damaged tissue is in the process of repairing itself). Full repair is not possible, since your dentures will continue to cause friction without intervention.
Relining
Fortunately, it's not so difficult to get your dentures back to a perfect fit. Visit your dentist or even a denture repair clinic to have your dentures relined. This is when a thin layer of base material is applied to the pink denture plates. It minutely increases the thickness of these denture plates, resulting in a perfect fit. If you are not able to have your dentures relined in a timely fashion, there are a few solutions for temporary relief. An anti-inflammatory gel designed for oral usage can bring pain relief, and denture adhesive strips can give your dentures greater stability in your mouth, thus reducing the likelihood of any friction. Please remember that these solutions are only temporary, and the issue will not go away unless you have your dentures relined.
The possibility of mouth ulcers is an unfortunate side effect of wearing dentures. It's important to be vigilant, and to ensure that you take the necessary action so that your dentures continue to properly fit.
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