I am having a hard time with my dentures. The hard plate is causing a severe gag reflex and I can’t keep it in as a result. Does anyone make a soft denture?
Casey
Dear Casey,
There is something as a soft denture liner. This is simply a soft piece that goes between the bony ridges of the jaw and the denture. It is designed to help people with super bony ridges who are prone to develop sores there as a result. However, there isn’t a soft denture, per se. This is because the plate has to be hard in order to for your chewing capacity. Even then, the best fitting dentures will reduce your chewing capacity by 50%.
For patients in your situation, the best solution is for you to get implant overdentures. These use between four to six dental implants in each arch. Then, your dentist can anchor the dentures to them.
Benefits of Implant Overdentures
- No upper plate. Your gag reflex will have nothing to gag over!
- Increased chewing capacity.
- Totally secure, which means no wiggling or risk of them slipping or falling out.
- Prevents facial collapse.
A Word about Facial Collapse
When your teeth were removed, your body immediately began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone. It does this in an effort to be as resourceful as possible with its resources, thinking you no longer have teeth, therefore you don’t need a jawbone to retain the roots.
This has the unfortunate effect of slowly shrinking your jawbone. After about ten or so years, you will no longer have enough jawbone left to retain your denture. With dental implants in place, your body determines you still have teeth there and leaves your jawbone intact.
This blog is brought to you by Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Susan Dentist of Michigan.