Once you have your denture, you can forget about it, right? Wrong! Annual checkups are needed to keep you healthy, comfortable, and smiling.
At a checkup, your Denturist will assess various aspects of your denture and oral health. This ensures that small issues can be identified and corrected before they develop over time into real problems. It also provides an opportunity for larger issues to be monitored and properly treated.
Changes in oral tissue
Your mouth is continuously changing. The shape and size of your gums today are not the same as they were on the day your dentures were made. These changes impact the fit and function of your dentures. If unchecked, you will start to experience sore spots, difficulty eating, and speaking challenges.
At your checkup, your Denturist will check and adjust your denture’s fit and ensure it functions optimally.
Denture wear
Dentures can wear over time, causing difficulty in chewing and speech. During annual checkups, your Denturist will assess if your denture is wearing at an acceptable rate and make any corrections that may be needed.
TMJ function
If your denture is ill-fitting or the bite of your denture is off, your temporomandibular jaw joint (TMJ) could experience undue strain. Over time, this can lead to TMJ syndrome. This is a painful condition characterized by ringing in the ears, dizziness, popping or cracking sound in the jaw joint, and neck pain.
At your checkup, your Denturist will look for evidence of TMJ issues and can correct your denture’s fit and bite for better TMJ function.
Oral cancer
Oral cancer can arise at any time and can be found in many patients wearing dentures. For many denture wearers, regular checkups with your Denturist may be the only way to detect oral cancer in the early stages.
Medical history updates
Some medications affect your saliva production, your oral tissues, or your body’s ability to combat oral bacteria. Some health conditions, like diabetes, can affect how your denture fits and functions. Other health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, can pose risks to your oral and denture health as your disease progresses.
Annual checkups will ensure that your Denturist knows about any changes to your medical history that may impact your denture or oral health.