Dentures Archives - Susan M. Dennis, D.D.S

Why Does Food Taste Different Since I Got Dentures?

Posted on July 18, 2026 by writeradmin.

I received a full upper denture several months ago. It fits ok, but food doesn’t taste the way it used to. Everything seems bland, and eating has become much less enjoyable. My dentist told me that dentures shouldn’t affect my taste because taste buds are on the tongue. Is the problem all in my head? Is there anything I can do about it? I used to love eating AND cooking things to eat.

Emily

Dear Emily,

No, the problem is not necessarily in your head. Your dentist is correct that most of your taste buds are located on your tongue. However, enjoying food involves much more than your taste buds alone. Smell, temperature, texture, and even the way food moves around your mouth all contribute to what we perceive as flavor. Dentures can affect several of those factors.

How an Upper Denture Can Change the Eating Experience

A traditional upper denture covers most of the roof of your mouth. Although your palate is not responsible for the five basic tastes—sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami—it does help you perceive qualities such as temperature and texture.

An upper denture creates a barrier between your food and the tissues on the roof of your mouth. That can make foods feel less distinctive, even though your tongue is detecting their basic tastes normally.

Dentures may also affect flavor in several other ways:

A loose denture can make it difficult to chew food thoroughly.
Denture adhesive may leave an unpleasant taste or film in the mouth.
Food particles can become trapped beneath a denture.
A bulky denture may leave less room for your tongue to move food naturally.
Dry mouth can reduce both comfort and taste perception.
Denture materials can sometimes retain odors if they are not cleaned properly.

Your sense of smell also plays an enormous role in flavor. If you have recently experienced nasal congestion, allergies, an illness, or a change in medication, that could be contributing to the problem as well.

When the Denture’s Fit Is the Problem

A properly made denture should restore your ability to eat, but removable dentures cannot provide the same chewing efficiency as healthy natural teeth. The best fitting dentures will still reduce your chewing capacity by 50%. If your denture shifts or slips requiring a large amount of adhesive, you may not be breaking food down as effectively. That means fewer flavor compounds are being released while you chew.

Your jawbone also changes after your teeth are removed. Over time, this can cause a denture that once fit well to become loose. Depending on the condition of the denture and your mouth, your dentist may recommend:

Adjusting the denture
Relining it for a closer fit
Replacing an older or worn denture
Anchoring the denture with dental implants

You should not simply accept a denture that makes eating uncomfortable or prevents you from enjoying a balanced diet.

Could Implant-Supported Dentures Help?

Dental implants can dramatically improve your eating experience. The implants stabilize the denture so it does not shift while you chew. This improves your chewing efficiency and makes it easier to eat.

Implants also allow your upper denture to be retained without the need for a denture plate, which means the roof of your mouth isn’t covered.

Don’t Ignore a Sudden Change in Taste

If food began tasting different immediately after you received your denture, the denture may be contributing to the problem. However, a sudden or continuing change in taste can also be related to dry mouth, medication, illness, nutritional deficiencies, or another medical condition. Your dentist can examine your mouth and denture, but you may also need to discuss the change with your physician.

Start by scheduling a denture evaluation.

You deserve teeth that do more than look presentable in photographs. They should allow you to speak correctly, smile confidently, and enjoy your food again.

This blog is brought to you by a gentle cosmetic dentist in Kalamazoo, Dr. Susan Dennis.

Dentist Only Wants to Pull Her Teeth

Posted on June 20, 2026 by writeradmin.

I am at my wit’s end. I’m 31 years old and have been having a lot of problems with my teeth lately. I’ve had multiple cavities. I’ve always had some chips in my teeth. Now my dentist is suggesting that we pull a couple of teeth and give me partial dentures. I want him to fix them. He said that the shape my teeth are in there is not really a point. When I asked if there was something more permanent he didn’t really answer. I don’t know if there is something better. I also really think we could fix these teeth. Haven’t things improved in dentistry where we have better options than just dentures?

Dawn

Dear Dawn,

I’m going to answer your last question first. Yes, there have been incredible improvements in dentistry since the days where your only option was dentures. One example of getting something more permanent is pictured above. A dental implant can be placed into your jawbone and then a dental crown anchored to it. This is the closest thing to having a healthy, natural tooth in your mouth there is.

The next best option would be a dental bridge (pictured directly above). This places a crown on the two adjacent teeth and then suspends the false tooth between them. While it’s very likely your dentist doesn’t know how to place dental implants because they are an advanced procedure that requires extensive post doctoral instruction, I’m a bit surprised he didn’t bother to mention a dental bridge. That should be something every dentist knows how to do.

It sounds to me like you are up against a dentist who doesn’t enjoy working on teeth. He’d rather pull them. Dentists differ in the amount of work they are willing to put into saving a tooth. You are not with the best dentist for your situation.

Don’t pressure him to do a dental implant or you’ll end up with a horror story on your hands. In fact, I recommend that you get a second opinion on your teeth in general, especially the ones he’s recommending you get rid of. There is still a possibility that you can save them.

This blog is brought to you by a gentle dentist in Kalamazoo, Dr. Susan Dennis.

Do I Have to Get Dentures?

Posted on April 6, 2026 by writeradmin.

I have periodontal disease and have lost three teeth and have a few more that are loose. My dentist is suggesting I get them all out and get dentures. While I will understand if I have to loose the teeth, do I have to get dentures? Would it be possible for me to get dental implants instead?

Angela

Dear Angela,

Before and after facial collapse.

Dental implants are a fantastic choice for replacing your teeth. They act as prosthetic tooth roots, which signals to your body that you still have your teeth there. This is important because without that, your body assumes you no longer have teeth to secure and it begins to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use them where they will be more useful in your body. The unfortunate side effect of this is that your jawbone will slowly shrink. If you were wearing completely removable dentures, eventually, around ten years or so, you will no longer have enough of your jawbone left to keep in dentures. This is known as facial collapse.

It sounds like your periodontal disease is rather advanced. If so, you will want to get that under control as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you’ll end up losing even more teeth. It’s likely that you have lost bone in the area of the teeth which came loose. In order to get dental implants for those. It will be worth it because your quality of life will go up significantly with regard to eating.

Before you pull all your teeth, I’d feel better if you were able to have another dentist look at your bite. Some dentists are more willing than others to do the work necessary to save teeth. It may be that most of your teeth are saveable and this dentist just prefers to extract teeth and move on.

Even though dental implants are the closest to having healthy, natural teeth, your own natural teeth are still better.

This blog is brought to you by a compassionate dentist in Kalamazoo Dr. Susan Dennis.

Do I Need an Oral Surgeon for Bone Grafting?

Posted on March 14, 2026 by writeradmin.

I’ve been losing my teeth. I was hoping to get dental implants but my dentist said that I’d need to see an oral surgeon and get bone grafting, so He recommends I just get dentures. I have a friend who had bone grafting done by her dentist and the dental implants. I’m not sure why I have to use an oral surgeon.

Maggie

Dear Maggie,

Before and after facial collapse.

There are are dentists who have trained and do bone grafting. However, it sounds like your dentist isn’t one of them. Don’t push him into it. The fact that he is pushing you toward dentures, tells me that he doesn’t know how to do dental implants either. I also wouldn’t push him into that. There are countless dental implant horror stories by patients whose dentists had no idea what they were doing. Some of them even lost part of their jaw.

I have to say that I don’t think you’re with the best dentist. Completely removable dentures are not a good thing for you in the long term. When your teeth are removed, your body begins to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to use them elsewhere in your body.

This results in your body being able to use its resources wisely. The side effect, however, is that your jawbone will slowly shrink. Eventually, you will no longer be able to even keep your dentures in place. In dental circles, this is known as facial collapse. Because of that, I think it is important that you go with your original plan to get bone grafting and dental implants. You’ll just have to do it with another dentist. If your friend’s dentist is local, you may consider having him or her do it. Otherwise, I would look for a dentist who has post-doctoral training in dental implants along with a high success rate.

This blog is brought to you by a friendly dentist in Kalamazoo, Dr. Susan Dennis.

Can’t Afford Anything By Dentures

Posted on December 1, 2025 by writeradmin.

I am in tears. I have teeth that are falling apart and my dentist says that it is not worth it for me to keep working on them. He’s suggesting that I just extract them and get dental implants. I saw that they can look great and will stay in your mouth, but they are super expensive. I can’t afford that. I’m on my own and don’t make a lot of money. If I can’t find a way to get them at a discount, then I am left with dentures, which is the last thing I want at they age of 34. I’ve been crying since I saw the price. If I agreed to do an advertisement or something for a dentist would they give me the dental implants? I look great except for my teeth.

Jessica

Dear Jessica,

Before you jump into extracting your teeth, I suggest that you get a second opinion on your teeth. Dentists have varying degrees of willingness to work hard to save teeth. Yours may be one who just wants to extract them and be done with it. Another dentist may be wiling to save your teeth and then you won’t need the implants.

If it turns out that you do need to replace your teeth, doing advertisements for a dentist is unlikely to get you free or even discounted dental implants. This is because the dentist can get people to do those for free. Needing to replace your teeth is stressful. I know you are in a tough spot and I understand that you are scared. There are a few options that may make your dental implants more affordable.

Generally, when patients gets implant supported dentures, they get four to six dental implants and anchor the dentures to them. You could instead get just two implants for your dentures. These are known as snap on dentures. It will at least secure the dentures and help prevent facial collapse.

Another option is to try an institution that teaches dentists how to place dental implants. Because the dentist is learning and will be working with an instructor, appointments will take longer. To make up for the inconvenience to you in time, they will do the procedure at a discount.

If neither of these work for you, then you could start with the removable dentures while you save up for the implants.

This blog is brought to you by compassionate dentist in Kalamazoo Dr. Susan Dennis.

Do You Have to Get Implants If You’re Only Losing One Tooth?

Posted on May 31, 2025 by writeradmin.

I understand why dental implants are important if you are losing all of your teeth. But what if you’re just having one tooth extracted? Is there the same risk of facial collapse? I do need to have a tooth extracted. At the moment I cannot afford a dental implant so I’m hoping there is an alternative for me.

Bella

Dear Bella,

While you won’t be in danger of complete facial collapse the way you would be if you had all of your teeth extracted, the area where you do extract a tooth will lose bone bone structure in that spot.

If you can’t afford a dental implant in that spot right away, you could get a removable partial denture or even a dental flipper as a temporary replacement.

You will still lose bone in that area, but only in that area. Plus, it will at least hold the space open for a dental implant while you save up for one. If it takes a long time for you to save up, you may have to also save up for some bone grafting. This is a procedure that builds up the bone in that area in order to support the implant.

Depending on the condition of the teeth on either side of the extraction site, a dental bridge may be a good option as well. With this procedure, you would suspend a false tooth between two dental crowns. If either of those teeth are already in need of a crown, a dental bridge would make more sense because you would be taking care of two issues at once.

As an esthetic consideration, if your extracted tooth is visible when you smile, you want to consider the color you will want in the long run. Once the replacement is made, you cannot change its color. So, if you are wanting a whiter smile any time in the near future, you will want to have teeth whitening done before having the replacement made so it can be made to match the color you want.

If the tooth isn’t visible when you smile, then I wouldn’t worry about that at all.

This blog is brought to you by Portage, MI Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

New Denture Won’t Stay In

Posted on April 15, 2025 by writeradmin.

I had a denture done, but have problems from the beginning. He did an impression, a wax bite, and two wax try-ins. I noticed on the second try-in that the denture wasn’t staying in, which alarmed me. I mentioned it to the dentist who said that is not a problem because that try in was about the teeth and nothing else. But, guess what? When the final denture was done it wouldn’t stay in. There was no suction. My dentist said to give it a week in order for my gums to adjust to the denture. After a week, there was no change. I went back to see my dentist. He said that there was probably an issue with the bite. He ground down some of the back teeth, gave me some fixodent, and told me to give it yet another week for my gums to adjust. As I was checking out, I heard him whispering something to his assistant about doing something called a reline if this doesn’t work. Should I trust him and do this if that is where we end up?

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

I’ll say up front that I’m not impressed. Telling you that your gums will adjust is bogus and a stalling tactic. However, this can be fixed. First, the good news. A reline should be a good solution for your situation if done right. Here is where I think your dentist went wrong and you will want to prevent that with the reline as well.

Going strictly from what you described, it sounds like your dentist took some shortcuts. While this is common practice for many dentists that could work out, in your case it obviously didn’t. The reasons that so many dentists take a short cut on these is because there is massive competition in the denture market. If they can save some money in order to lower their prices, it may get them an edge on that competition.

In order to get the best impression, your dentist would want to do a two-step impression. First, is border molding. This would use a heavier impression material which should register the denture border. This is important because the border is what creates the suction you need in order to keep the denture in. It has to press into the tissue a bit to create that suction, so a heavier material is better for that.

The second step is a wash, which is a lighter a impression material used to fill up the interior of the impression. This will register all the soft tissue.

Dentists that try to save time and money will use a medium impression material in order to do both at once. Honestly, much of the time it creates and adequate denture. Obviously not always.

The reline should get a better impression because it will get closer to accurate. Hopefully, your dentist has not already taken that impression. In that case, ask him to do the two step impression and not rely on the medium bodied one step process.

Second, I also want to recommend that you look into facial collapse, which is a consequence of long-term use of removable dentures. As you are making a change anyway, this would be the time to understand all of your options.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

Where Should Dentures Be Placed?

Posted on March 19, 2025 by writeradmin.

Can you help me with something? I had all-on-four dentures placed for my anterior teeth. Should they be placed 2-3 mm from the gumline or should they exactly follow the gumline? Mine are not following the gumline and my lips feel and look bulky. Was this done properly?

Elena

Dear Elena,

This is a gumline.

I’m glad you wrote. I think we’re having a terminology issue, but I think I know what your question is really asking. When we’re talking about a gumline, it is where the gums meet with the teeth. If you’re talking about a complete denture with your all on four dental implant treatment, then that would be the acrylic that meets at the white “tooth” part.

The problem I suspect you are talking about is where the teeth “hit” in relation to the bony ridge that the denture is placed on. Where they are placed depends on whether you are talking about completely removable dentures or something that is anchored, like your all-on-four.

If you are in completely removable dentures, then the teeth need to be placed directly on top of the ridge. If they are more forward than that, your dentures will tip any time you bite down.

If, on the other hand, you are talking about an implant retained denture then they can be placed a little further forward than that because they are secure and are not going to tip when you bite. The 2-3 mm you mentioned are well within the range of acceptable placement. That being said, there are other things to consider besides chewing with denture placement such as appearance of the teeth, the patient’s speech, fullness of the patient’s lips, vertical dimension, and their bite placement for proper occlusion. There should always be a wax try-in of the dentures before the acrylic version is made to check all of these things. I’m wondering if your dentist did this.

If your denture is attached to the implants with screws, its position can still be changed. The denture can be removed and then reset into a different position. Your dentist may be willing to do this for free. If he or she isn’t, then the fee would not be much. I hope this helps.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

Will Medical Insurance Pay for Dental Implants?

Posted on February 13, 2025 by writeradmin.

I have pretty bad periodontal disease and have been wearing an upper denture because of how bad my teeth were. I had the denture plate and think I would be better off with implant supported dentures. Is there a chance that my medical insurance would pay for this?

Katie

Dear Katie,

You are not alone in having problems with dentures. Unfortunately, you will not be able to get your medical insurance to pay for this. There are even people without teeth that can’t use dentures because of facial collapse. They literally cannot eat and their medical insurance won’t cover it.

There is a possible temporary solution for your problem with the dental plate. That will give you a chance to save up for dental implants. I would also take this time to deal with your periodontal disease, because until that is dealt with you will not be able to have dental implants anyway.

Screenshot

There’s a new procedure that was developed by a dentist in Great Britain. He realized if the denture plate was slightly curved just beneath the vibrating line it helps some patients with a strong gag reflex do better with the dentures.

Then, once you have healthy gums, you may need to look into your bone structure. Periodontal disease can eat away at your bone. That bone will be necessary in order to keep your dental implants in place. Don’t panic if you do not have enough. In that case, you can have a bone grafting procedure done which will build back up your bone so that you can have the implant overdentures you want.

Focus on healing your gums and saving up, but go ahead and try the procedure with the dental plate to make things more tolerable for yourself.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

What If Dentures Is All You Can Afford?

Posted on January 20, 2025 by writeradmin.

I have a problem with my teeth, especially my upper teeth. I’ve been losing enamel and most of the teeth have cavities. Many of them need crowns and a few need to be extracted. It may be easier to extract them. Every one is telling me to get dental implants, but I don’t have a lot of money. What if dentures are all I can afford?

Celeste

Dear Celeste,

Everyone is in different circumstances. My first piece of advice to you would be to focus on saving the teeth you can. Natural teeth are far more useful to you than any tooth replacement. If you were losing all of your teeth and they couldn’t be saved I would say that it would be fine to place dentures on the upper teeth. These are held in by suction.

If you were dealing with lower teeth, while you might have to start with dentures, I would strongly suggest that you save up for dental implants. It is much more important on the lower arch. This is because the dentures on a lower arch rest on the ridge of your jawbone. Unfortunately, once your teeth are removed, your body will begin to resorb the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body.

While it does this to be efficient with your body’s resources, it has the side effect of slowly shrinking your jawbone. Eventually, there won’t be enough of the ridge there for your dentures to stay in place. In dental circles this is known as facial collapse.

Getting dental implants prevents that. The implants signal to your body that you still have teeth. Because of that, it leaves your jawbone alone. This means that you will no longer have to worry about facial collapse.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.