Effective Strategies for Common Lower Denture Challenges

Discover practical solutions for common issues encountered with lower dentures. This guide covers problems like sore spots, fit adjustment, vertical dimension, and chewing difficulties, offering effective remedies to improve comfort and functionality. Regular dental check-ups are essential for optimal denture performance.

Effective Strategies for Common Lower Denture Challenges

Removable dentures are prosthetic devices designed to substitute missing teeth. Unlike fixed implants, these dentures can be easily taken out and replaced. However, users may encounter specific issues with lower dentures over time. Here, we explore common problems associated with lower dentures and practical solutions to address them:

Problems with Maxillary Dentures
If sore spots develop on the lower dentures, marking the areas with a Thompson stick and using PIP paste can help identify and alleviate the discomfort.

Swallowing difficulties, gagging, or speech problems often indicate that the denture extends too far onto the soft palate. To resolve this, borders around the hard and soft palate regions should be marked with Thompson stick and evaluated using the Valsalva maneuver. Re-fitting the denture typically resolves these issues.

Looseness during talking or yawning can be remedied by applying PIP paste to improve fit and stability.

Adjusting Vertical Dimension of Occlusion (VDO)
If the denture shows excessive vertical dimension, with too many visible teeth, it might cause TMJ pain, jaw muscle discomfort, or increased salivation. Recreating the denture with a centric relation (CR) bite helps prevent these problems.

Conversely, too little VDO results in fewer visible teeth and potential TMJ pain due to instability and difficulty swallowing. In such cases, remaking or rebasing the dentures is necessary.

Lower (Mandibular) Denture Troubles
Commonly, issues arise from insufficient contact between upper and lower teeth, impairing proper chewing function. Proper adjustment is vital for effective denture performance.

Wearing lower dentures may present various challenges, but understanding and addressing these efficiently ensures better comfort and functionality. Regular consultation with dental professionals is recommended for optimal results.