I’m worried about my husband. He got dentures, but he can’t wear them. We’ve been back several times for refittings, yet nothing seems to work. I don’t know how to help him. He’s miserable and can barely eat without his bottom teeth. Do you have any advice?
Carolyn
Dear Carolyn,
It sounds like your husband is really suffering. It is not uncommon for patients to have an adjustment period to dentures. For some, it’s quite difficult. Usually making adjustments helps. Others never adjust. This is a chance to evaluate what his next steps are.
If he’s determined to stick with dentures, he could go to a different dentist to try someone else’s hand at refitting his dentures. Another option is a prosthodontist. They have more experience than some of your local dentists, depending on where you live.
An Alternative to Dentures
If he just can’t adjust, he has another option. Dental implants are a fantastic tooth replacement option. These put prosthetic tooth roots into his teeth. He will no longer be in pain. It’s more like having healthy, natural teeth back.
However, there is an even better reason to get them. When his teeth were removed, his body started slowly leeching the minerals out of his jawbone to use elsewhere in his body. It does that to be efficient. This is causing his jawbone to slowly shrink. Eventually, there won’t be enough jawbone left for his denture to stay in place. Dentists call this facial collapse.
Getting dental implants prevents this from happening. Because the prosthetic root is placed in his jawbone, his body interprets this as him having teeth and needing his jawbone. This will change his life. He’ll be able to eat again. In fact, he can eat anything he wants, even steak.
If you decide to go the implant route, make sure your husband sees an experienced and qualified implant dentist. It’s an advanced procedure and requires significant post-doctoral training. For instance, Dr. Cha took every course on it the Misch Institute offered and is a Fellow at the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI).
I wish you both the best.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.