Whether you have finally gotten dentures after a long time, you have been using dentures for years, or you are caring for someone who uses dentures, there is always the question of if your dentures will need to be adjusted or reshaped.
Having badly fitted dentures can be incredibly uncomfortable, and often it can take a while to work out that they need to be changed.
Before getting into how to shape your dentures at home, let’s have a look at some of the signs that you will need to get your dentures adjusted.
Signs You Should Adjust Your Dentures
You Are Having Trouble Eating
While after you initially get your dentures you can expect it to be quite difficult to learn to eat with them in, but after a short time, you should be able to get used to this.
However, if this never improves, and you continue to struggle to eat with them in it can be a sign that you should get them reshaped. If your dentures are not perfectly suited to your mouth it can be hard for you to control them enough to eat efficiently and effectively.
The Dentures Are Slipping Often
Dentures, when they are secure in your mouth, are not supposed to come loose unless you specifically want them to, however, if they are not properly fitted it is very likely that they will slip out of place when you do not want them to.
This can happen during sudden movements like laughing or coughing, but sometimes it can be so bad that it happens when people smile.
If this is happening right after you have gotten your dentures there may be a problem with how you are wearing them, but if this is a constant issue, your dentures can be resized, so they do not slip out.
The Dentures Are Causing Discomfort And Soreness
After getting your dentures, especially if it is the first time you have ever used them, there is a strong likelihood that you will find them uncomfortable and feel like they are an unnatural presence in your mouth.
However, once you have worn them in this feeling should go away. But if you have been wearing your dentures for quite a while, and they are still causing discomfort and even pain, this is a sign that they will need resizing.
If you continually wear misfitting dentures the prosthetics can cause irritation to your gums which can become very painful. This problem will usually be soothed once the dentures have been properly refitted.
So now you know the signs that your dentures are misfitted, how should you go about reshaping them?
Should I Reshape My Dentures Myself?
Before moving into how to reshape dentures, a question being asked often is, should you? Dentures are often very expensive, and sometimes it is better to cope with a slightly uncomfortable one than to break one because of your own mistakes.
Most professionals completely recommend against reshaping your dentures yourself as there is a very high likelihood that you will end up damaging the dentures beyond repair, or maybe just make the problem worse than it was previously.
Dentures are very sensitive and complex and should not be tampered with lightly. They are made by professionals and because of this, it is recommended that professionals are the people who should be fixing them.
Because of this, if you feel like there is a large problem with your dentures or something you can wait to fix, book an appointment with your dentist, and they should be able to fix the problem as soon as possible.
This will avoid any potential damage being done to your dentures and will solve any discomfort you have been facing.
In spite of this, if there are very minor issues that just need a tiny bit of adjustment, there are a couple of things you can try to make small changes.
How To Reshape Your Dentures
Some people who have been using dentures for a long time suggest using an emery board to shave down parts of your dentures under controlled circumstances if you know that they are causing you issues.
While this method can be effective if you reshape the wrong part of the dentures they can very quickly become ineffective and sometimes not fit at all.
Some people who are very experienced with dentures will buy their own relining kit which is a version of what dentists use for adjusting dentures.
However, this can often end up costing more than just visiting the dentist, and you will have to teach yourself to use a semi-complex device to just make small adjustments.
Some people also recommend putting the dentures in hot water to reshape the material, but most professionals strongly recommend against this as the heat from the water can end up naturally misshaping more of the dentures than intended and ruin them completely.
While wanting to have the control to reshape your dentures is understandable, you should also want to make it, so you are not damaging your dentures and end up wasting money.
Unless you feel like you are professionally qualified to adjust your dentures, it is recommended to go to someone who is, preferably the person who originally installed them, and give them the responsibility as they are much more likely to get good results!
Conclusion
Make sure that if you are set on adjusting your dentures yourself to take all necessary precautions, but unless you are completely confident and feel like you have qualified skills, it is recommended to go to the person who fitted them in the first place and put the responsibility of fixing their mistakes on them.
To avoid discomfort with dentures make sure to follow all the common advice like to be sensible with what you are eating, to take them off at night to let your face rest, and to clean them as regularly as possible!