Delayed Healing
Hopefully you followed your dentist’s postoperative instructions during the healing period. But not everyone heals at the same rate. You may still need time to heal.
If your implant dentures are still new, go easy on your implant dentures for a little while longer. Mention your discomfort at your next follow-up visit. If pain persists even when there isn’t pressure on the denture, worsens, or is accompanied by infection symptoms, contact your dentist right away.
Not Enough Support
Remember, there are two types of implant dentures. Some are supported by dental implants–they take bite force and direct it to the bone–and some are just held in place but not supported–bite force still rests on the gums.
Most people benefit from even securing dentures with implants, but for some people the added stability increases bite force enough to result in discomfort. You might allow a little time for your gums to toughen up, but if discomfort persists, it may be time to start talking about getting implant-supported dentures.
Poorly Fitted Dentures
Another problem that can lead to discomfort with implant-secured dentures is just poor fit. The problem of localized pressure points under dentures can be accentuated when bite force increases due to increased stabilization.
Denture fit may be improved with a reline or you might need to get new dentures.
Dentures Not Neuromuscularly Fitted
One of the problem with dentures is that they’re often only fitted to the mouth. This is as true of implant dentures as of traditional dentures. But if your dentures are only fitted to the mouth, they may not fit with other vital parts of your bite system, such as your jaw muscles and joints.
If your dentures aren’t fitted to the jaw muscles and joints, you can experience temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ) symptoms, which may include jaw pain, headaches, and neck pain. You may also experience pain in the bones around your dental implants.
If you are experiencing these types of symptoms, it might be a good idea to see a neuromuscular dentist to get a more thorough evaluation of your bite with implant dentures.
All FOY® Dentures dentists are trained in the proper measurement and design for denture bites. To get the best-fitted implant dentures, please contact a local FOY® Dentures dentist today.
