When you first received your removable dentures, perhaps the fit was firm and more comfortable. Lately, though, they’ve become loose, making it difficult to eat or speak without slippage. Perhaps the dentures were never comfortable or fit well in the first place.

The problem may not be with your denture, but with bone loss. Human bone goes through a natural cycle of dissolving (known as resorption) and new growth to take the lost bone’s place. The jawbone receives further stimulation to grow from the forces generated by natural teeth when we bite or chew.

When our natural teeth are missing, however, the jawbone lacks this stimulation, which over time results in bone loss and gum tissue shrinkage. Traditional dentures can’t transmit this stimulating force to the jawbone either, so the bone and gum structure under a denture will also shrink. This results in a looser fit for the denture.

The simplest option to correct a loose-fitting denture(especially if it’s the first occurrence) is to reline the dentures with additional material to re-form the fit to the new conditions in the mouth. A permanent relining will require sending your dentures to a dental laboratory to apply the new material based on a mold of your current anatomy beneath the denture.

If, however, after examining your gums we determine a reline won’t provide the fit and stability needed, then it may be time for considering more definitive options. The truth is that sometimes dentures just aren’t able to be worn comfortably and to provide good chewing function. But, we do have alternatives that can return that comfort and chewing ability!

The most effective solution to a loose denture is to have dental implants placed to secure your denture. Dental implants are titanium anchors secured to your jawbone that can attach to your denture to stabilize it. This results in improved fit, improved chewing function, and most importantly improved confidence! The implants also help prevent future bone loss by providing the jaw the stimulation that the teeth once did! You can learn more about this on our Implant Denture Page.

We can also go even a step further. With enough implants, we can actually get rid of a denture altogether and put in a set of permanent teeth again. It can be like you never had a

denture in the first place! Teeth that never come out of your mouth, look beautiful, and allow you to eat everything you once loved eating. To learn more on this option, please see our All On Four Implant page.

If you’ve begun to notice denture looseness or just struggle with dentures in general, be sure to make an appointment for an examination. From there, we can advise you on what will work best in your particular case. Please call our office at (309) 699-5521 to schedule!