Understanding Your Body's Reaction To Wearing New Dentures

18 July 2019
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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Seniors who have lost their teeth will often choose to wear dentures, and most people can get used to using them within a relatively short period of time. While this is true, your body will need to get used to the artificial teeth and you may notice some things while this is happening. Keep reading to learn about a few things and what you can do about them.

Increased Salivation

When your body senses that there is a foreign object in the mouth, then the salivary glands will react by increasing their fluid production. This is done in an attempt to flush out the foreign material. And, you may notice your mouth filling with saliva when you start wearing your dentures. This is normal and the fluid should reduce significantly within a matter of weeks.

You should not try to dry your mouth out in an attempt to reduce the saliva. Not only is the fluid important to moisten and break down food, but it also contains antibacterial properties to keep microorganisms in check. So, you may experience an infection without your saliva, which is even more likely due to the inflammation of the gum tissues.

Drink more water if you notice increased saliva. This will help your salivary glands to replenish the saliva and it will also help you with additional mouth moisture. And, if you are experiencing some drooling during the first few weeks of denture use, it can keep your mouth moving and help you swallow the fluids before they build up too much.

Mouth Sores

There are a few different kinds of sores that can form on the gums when you have dentures. Canker sores may develop and you may experience some open wounds due to oral thrush. However, sores that develop directly on the bone ridges are a common occurrence and a way for your body to deal with additional pressure and stress on the tissues in the area.

Sores will go away and new harder and stronger tissues will form. This is similar to the way that a callus or scar tissue will develop in an area where you rub on the skin continually. So, you want to keep wearing your dentures when sores form and your dentist will give you a wear schedule to follow for the first few weeks. Make sure to follow this schedule to put just enough pressure on the gums so that healing and new tissue growth can occur at the correct rate.

If you want to know more about dentures and the way that your body will react to having false teeth, speak with a Medicaid dentist.