Every now and then, people who wear full or partial dentures may complain about irritation, pain, or even sore gums. When you’re wearing dentures daily, you need them to fit properly and feel comfortable so that you can go about your normal activities.
Unfortunately, denture pain can make you feel miserable. If you’re beginning to feel occasional discomfort or develop sores in your mouth under your denture, here are some things you need to be aware of.
Common Causes of Denture Pain
Any time denture wearers complain about sore gums, pain, or discomfort, it’s natural for us to ask if they’re sleeping in their denture and find out if their denture fits properly.
When we have missing teeth, our bone naturally resorbs (shrinks) and changes the shape of our jaws. So, in time, full dentures that once fit perfectly will start to be loose or rock out of place. This can lead to soreness in our gums, denture problems overall, and even infection. But if we’re sleeping in our dentures, it can accelerate denture problems and also predispose us to infections.
Sleeping in Your Denture
If you’re sleeping in your dentures overnight, your mouth is at a heightened risk for oral irritation. Proper denture care calls for removing your dentures at night and soaking them in a denture cleaning solution. If you’re sleeping in your dentures, there’s a good chance that some type of infection or denture sores will develop over time.
But mouth infections are just one problem with sleeping your dentures in. Not removing them overnight will increase your risk of accelerated bone loss. And when you lose bone, even new dentures won’t fit properly.
How to Fix Ill-Fitting Dentures
Ill-fitting dentures tend to rock, rub, and create sore gums underneath them. Even high-quality dentures won’t fit forever. If you’re starting to develop denture pain or have chronic sore gums, you may need your dentures relined, adjusted, or replaced.
Denture relining involves creating a new “fit” in the plate that rests against your gums. The adjusted contour relieves sore gums and creates a more stable fit. Ideally, properly fitted dentures shouldn’t need denture adhesive to fit properly or feel comfortable. When our Camas dentist relines your dentures, it’s like adding a new line or cushion on the inside of the plate, creating a completely new fit against your mouth.
Never try home remedies like DIY denture repairs, as these can leave your denture permanently damaged and inappropriate to wear.
Does a Denture Cleansing Solution Help?
Good oral hygiene is important for denture wearers too. If your mouth infections are what’s causing your denture pain, a re-vamped home hygiene routine is important. Properly caring for dentures involves removing them at night, soaking them in an approved effervescent denture cleaning solution, and brushing them thoroughly to remove any loose debris. You’ll want to clean your dentures morning and night, just like your natural teeth.
Plus, make sure that you clean your gums after you take your dentures out at night. You can use a soft toothbrush or even a damp washcloth to wipe your gums clean. If there are any sore spots, make sure to avoid harsh mouthwash that contains alcohol. A lukewarm salt water rinse may help ease your discomfort. You can also apply aloe vera gel if you like.
Remember to rinse your mouth and dentures after meals to remove any food particles and keep your mouth clean. If food slowly sleeps under your denture between your prosthesis and gums, it can lead to additional sores, infections, and bad breath (or even pain.)
Be sure to visit your dentist regularly to have your dentures cleaned, inspected, and your mouth evaluated to see how your dentures fit.
Do I Need to Eat Soft Foods?
If you’re eating soft foods to relieve denture pain, there’s likely another underlying problem to address. Even though it’s fairly normal to shift away from firmer, harder, crunchier foods once you start wearing dentures, you shouldn’t feel like you need to eat mashed potatoes or oatmeal every day. Once you get your dentures and adjust to them, you’ll eat smaller bites of foods or slightly softer textures. If it hurts to eat, you need to see our Camas dentist to figure out what’s going on.
While it might be normal to eat soft foods when adjusting to new dentures, this dietary change should be short-lived.
Will Wearing Denture Adhesive Help with Pain?
Quality dentures shouldn’t cause discomfort when you wear them. Ideally, you should be able to wear dentures without any adhesives, strips, or pastes. And if you’re taking an over-the-counter pain reliever or rinsing with warm saltwater because of sore gums, a denture adhesive may not help any. All it might do is slightly take the edge off. Ultimately our dentist in Camas will need to evaluate your prosthesis and make any adjustments to get it fitting properly.
Alternatives to Correct Denture Pain
Instead of reaching for pain relief medication, consider talking to our dentist in Camas about your poorly fitting dentures. Denture-related pain is not normal. Instead, working with a dental professional will help prevent irritating gums. At Radiance Dental, one of our best recommendations is to consider stabilizing your upper dentures or lower plate with dental implants. Snap-on or clip-in dentures are a type of implant stabilized denture option that prevents your prosthesis from rubbing or causing gum pain.
An overdenture can be attached to as few as 2-4 dental implants. Immediate dentures may even qualify. And in some cases, our Camas dentists can retrofit your current dentures to fit onto implants for stabilization purposes.
Denture Pain Relief at Radiance Dental
Radiance Dental offers honest denture advice and comprehensive care for every smile (even if you no longer have any natural teeth.) Whether it’s relining your current denture, replacing it with a new one, or discussing how to affix it onto dental implants, numerous options are available.
Contact our Camas denture specialists today to reserve a no-fuss consultation.
