Grinding Your Teeth with Dentures
When you have dentures, you may think that they are indestructible. After all, they are made of a hardened ceramic (or other similar) material, so you would think that they would last a long time. This may be true for the most part, and with proper care, your dentures should last for years and years.However, if you grind your teeth, it can damage your dentures and cause them to wear out much more rapidly than they otherwise would. Grinding your teeth places undue stress on the dentures and can result in uneven or overly rapid wear or even microfractures.
Even if you take your dentures out when you sleep, if you grind your teeth together (or your gums, as your teeth will be sitting in a glass in the bathroom), it can cause problems with your dentures. This is because when you press your gums together too hard it will lead to bone loss, which in turn can cause your dentures to fit and operate improperly.
Fortunately, there are ways to address this matter. One possibility is to get a specially fashioned device that you place in your mouth when you go to sleep. This device will work to prevent you from grinding your teeth (or gums) and will prevent the problems noted above.
If you have any questions about grinding your teeth, please contact our office. We can help you adjust to life with your dentures, and we can help you make sure they last you a long time.
