“I wear dentures. My gums are aching! What can I do?”
The dentures I have make my gums red and swollen by the end of day. It's so achy and uncomfortable. What can I do to resolve this denture problem, and how do I treat my sore gums in the evenings when I get home?
28 Answers
See your dentist this may be a sign of something more serious. If nothing serious is found and the dentures still fit your mouth well try rinsing with warm salt water 2 - 3 times daily. Keep your denture clean with a denture brush and a small amount of toothpaste at least once daily, Soak the dentures in a suitable disinfecting solution.
Dr. Alan Bruce Steiner
Dentist | General Practice
Take the dentures out at night. Have them relined or get new ones. Proper fitting dentures will not do what you describe. Have them attached with mini or regular implants.
Use salt water rinses to help heal the gingiva tissue. See a dentist to adjust the denture. You may need a reline of your denture.
Old dentures or ill fitting dentures press on the gums. Sometimes the bone that is right under the gums are sharp ,uneven and will cut the gums. Dentist will evaluate if a soft reline could solve the problem. Sometimes a few implants will be extremely valuable under dentures as they act as supporting structures and prevent the bone from reabsorbing more.
Having your denture evaluated by a dentist would be the first course of action and highly recommended. If your gums are red and swollen, this could be due to a variety of causes. Your denture might not be fitting properly or your bite may not be coming together correctly, which can cause the denture to move around during wear. Bacteria or fungus could be present in your denture or on the tissue under your denture. Visiting the dentist would allow for an evaluation into the source of your problem and aid you in relieving your discomfort. Your gum tissue would benefit from a warm salt water rinse at night and leaving the denture out while you sleep. It is a good idea to make sure the denture is thoroughly cleaned daily and any residual denture adhesive is removed.
Gaye Clancy, RDH
Gaye Clancy, RDH
Have your dentures relined and try them in and work with them. You will have to see a dentist to have that done.
You need to go back to your dentist to get them adjusted. Orabase will help till you get them adjusted.
The best thing to tell you is to see your dentist. It could be that your dentures are ill fitting or need to be adjusted. make sure that you or cleaning your dentures daily and leaving them out at night. It may also help to massage your red gums with your index finger a few times a day to stimulate blood flow to those tissues. Often times there are prescription rinsed which can help the inflamation.
Visit your dentist. You may be in need of a denture reline. If you are, this could relieve an ill-fitting denture.
First you should have your dentist evaluate the fit of your dentures to make sure they fit properly. They might need adjustments or relining. Take them out at night and massage your gums. Do not sleep in them. Clean them well and let them soak in a cleaning solution nightly. Hopefully this solves your problem.
Probably your dentures are not fitting properly. Visit your dentist, get the dentures adjusted, or you might need a new pair if the existing ones cannot be adjusted.
A good fitting denture should not make your gums or mouth sore. You should see your dentist and get an adjustment. Almost all dentures need adjustments at some point.
Dr. Brandon Nicholson, D.D.S.
Dr. Brandon Nicholson, D.D.S.
First, how old are your dentures? Are they over 5 years old or are they relatively new? If they are older than 5 years, you may need to be fitted for new dentures because of shrinkage of your jaw bone. If they are relatively new, you need to see the dentist to get an adjustment. Your jaw bone and gums change over time and adjustments may be needed.
Rinse mouth with warm salt water when you get home. Dentures may need to be relined or stabilized with implants.
Go see your dentist, you probably need tissue releaved in your new denture.
Depending on where your denture was done, it's possible that someone overlooked reading the X-ray properly and you have a retained root or two, which is working its way toward the surface being irritated by the pressure of chewing with the denture. I would say an X-ray would render the reason for the pain and the necessity to remove the fractured root tip.
You can swish with (warm water + 1 teaspoon of salt) to help for now but you need to see a dentist. Most likely the denture doesn’t fit properly and either need to be adjusted or relined. Also, it could be a fungal infection that develops often under dentures.
Remove your dentures and check for changes in the color or texture of your gums. Report your findings to your dentist.
If your gums are red and swollen by day's end, it's time to visit a dentist to determine if they fit properly. A well-made and well-fitted denture should be comfortable. Red, swollen gums are a sign of inflammation. In the meantime, remove your dentures when you get home and rinse with warm salt water. You can also massage your gums with your thumb to get some blood circulation started. But again, the best thing to do is: SEE A DENTIST.
The first thing to make sure of is that your denture fits your mouth correctly. If the teeth and base are still in good shape, it might only require a reline to have it fit your gum tissue. An ill fitting denture will rock and move and cause major gum soreness and swelling. As for treatment of the tissue at night, I would recommend a medicated rinse called Rincinol by the company GUM. I would suggest that your next step would be to see a dentist to evaluate your denture.
Properly fitting dentures should not hurt. The average denture wearer should be seen at least once a year for an examination to make sure everything is adjusted properly and the tissue is healthy.
Sorry to hear that. Did your medical history change? New medication? Did food got under your dentures? Have you been taking antibiotics? All these can cause achy gums, plus many more...
Your best bet is to see an expert dentist right away, possibly to rinse with chlorohexidine solution, but it is a prescription! You might want to ask the dentist to do tissue conditioning treatment!
Best of luck.
Your best bet is to see an expert dentist right away, possibly to rinse with chlorohexidine solution, but it is a prescription! You might want to ask the dentist to do tissue conditioning treatment!
Best of luck.
Dear denture wearer,
Your sore gums may be caused by a variety of problems and to receive the correct care you should visit a dentist who makes dentures. The most frequent cause for soreness is ill-fitting dentures. As we age, our jaw bones remodel, and dentures which at one time fit correctly can often need adjustments or replacement. The average denture lasts five years. If the dentures were never comfortable, then either there are pressure spots that press harder and need to be relieved or the teeth are not in harmony. This harmony is called “occlusion“ and can be difficult to refine but ever so important. This is where a more knowledgeable dentist can be valuable.
I hope this helps and good luck.
Dr. Neal
Your sore gums may be caused by a variety of problems and to receive the correct care you should visit a dentist who makes dentures. The most frequent cause for soreness is ill-fitting dentures. As we age, our jaw bones remodel, and dentures which at one time fit correctly can often need adjustments or replacement. The average denture lasts five years. If the dentures were never comfortable, then either there are pressure spots that press harder and need to be relieved or the teeth are not in harmony. This harmony is called “occlusion“ and can be difficult to refine but ever so important. This is where a more knowledgeable dentist can be valuable.
I hope this helps and good luck.
Dr. Neal
Your dentures probably need to be adjusted, relined or replaced. Daily use of an over the counter rinse like "Healthy Gums" will sooth your gums. If your dentures move around, a thin layer of adhesive paste will help keep them in place. If they don't, a very thin layer of vasoline inside your dentures will help sooth your gums during use.
Take your dentures out and let the tissues breathe. If the tissues are sore, your dentist can do a soft reline material, which often helps.
Losing all of your teeth and wearing full dentures is for most people, a very long miserable experience. Dentures are like popping in a plastic eyeball and saying this replaces your eye. Dentures replace only 10% of your chewing function. Lower full dentures are particularly awful, as they have no stability. The tongue is constantly moving them around and lifting them up. Adhesives are of little value. The best course is to try to save your teeth, at least some of them.
There is a fairly new product out there the help the edentulous patient; it is the all on 4 implant retained denture. This is put in and not removable by the patient. The denture is attached to the 4 implants and does not press on the delicate lining of the mouth. The denture does not move around. Most patients are very happy with this treatment. The downside, it is costly. Even if you have dental insurance, it will cover only $2,000 out of approximately $22,000 per arch. The expectation is that the implants will last forever, the denture has a metal framework with a lifetime guarantee.....but the plastic teeth on the denture will need to be reset periodically. Most of the cost is upfront. It really is a quality of life issue. This treatment is so much better than the traditional denture .
In answer to your sore gums.....try to wear the denture as little as possible....hardly a great answer, but a common problem, with no great inexpensive solution.
There is a fairly new product out there the help the edentulous patient; it is the all on 4 implant retained denture. This is put in and not removable by the patient. The denture is attached to the 4 implants and does not press on the delicate lining of the mouth. The denture does not move around. Most patients are very happy with this treatment. The downside, it is costly. Even if you have dental insurance, it will cover only $2,000 out of approximately $22,000 per arch. The expectation is that the implants will last forever, the denture has a metal framework with a lifetime guarantee.....but the plastic teeth on the denture will need to be reset periodically. Most of the cost is upfront. It really is a quality of life issue. This treatment is so much better than the traditional denture .
In answer to your sore gums.....try to wear the denture as little as possible....hardly a great answer, but a common problem, with no great inexpensive solution.
You state your dentures make your gums red and swollen by the end of the day. I assume in the morning your gums are okay. I assume your gums are red and swollen in general, not in just one place. The most common reason for general redness and swelling is clenching or grinding the teeth. This excessive pressure on the gums produces this problem. The ideal mouth posture is lips together and teeth apart. The only time your teeth should touch is when you are swallowing for a second or two, and when you are chewing food.
I hope this helps with your problem.
I hope this helps with your problem.
You might have an infection, maybe your bite is not right or needs to be relined. Please see a dentist to diagnose the problem.
