Dentures can make a massive difference in how you feel if you’re missing teeth, but wearing them properly takes some getting used to. Sometimes, it may feel like wearing your dentures properly is almost like a skill unto itself.
For example, if you’re new to wearing dentures, you might have found that you have a little bit of trouble keeping your lower prosthetic in place. Thankfully, with a little bit of work, you shouldn’t have this problem—here are a few things you can do to keep your lower prosthetic in place.
Why Are My Lower Dentures Falling Out Of Place?
There are quite a few reasons why your dentures could have a habit of falling out of place, either having to do with your habits or the construction of the prosthetic itself. For example:
A Low Bone Ridge
If you’ve been missing teeth for a while, it’s possible that your lower jaw may have shrunk from disuse. In this case, it may be a little bit more difficult than usual for you to keep your prosthetic in place.
Poor Denture Alignment
Typically, a proper lower denture should have no problem adhering strongly and securely to the lower jaw. However, if your denture wasn’t properly positioned initially, you could be struggling to keep it in place.
Training Jaw Muscles
Wearing your dentures properly isn’t always as easy as just slapping them in—keeping them in place requires you to work your lower jaw muscles in a particular way. This is something that you may not have been told explicitly when you first got your dentures, and as a result, you might not have been prepared for.
Tongue Thrusting
Some people have a habit of thrusting their tongue out when they pronounce certain words—if you do this, you may accidentally push your lower dentures out of place.
How to Help Your Lower Dentures Hold Fast
You might be tempted to really glom on denture adhesive, but overusing it isn’t generally a good idea. Instead, you should talk to your dentist about whether there’s some structural issue that could make it hard to keep your dentures in place. In some cases, they may recommend switching to implant dentures.
The rest just comes with practice. The more you get used to holding your dentures in place and not thrusting your tongue, the more your dentures will stay in place.
About Our Practice
At Columbus Dental Arts, we do everything we can to make sure that our patients are not only as healthy as possible, but that our office is a warm and comforting environment for all of our patients. When you’re here you’ll never have to worry about feeling like just another patient—all of your care will be personalized to you and will be geared to make you as comfortable as possible.
If you have any questions about dentures, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (609) 324-9500.