Many denture wearers accept irritation as an inevitable consequence of wearing dentures , but there are two problems with this.
First, irritation isn’t inevitable–it’s caused by poorly fitting dentures and can be resolved with properly fitting dentures.
Second, denture irritation can have potentially serious consequences. Denture irritation is a wound that may heal poorly in people with compromised or weakened immune systems.
Osteoradionecrosis and Dentures
Osteoradionecrosis is a complication of radiation therapy of the head, jaw, or neck. In this complication, a person suffers the death of bone material, which is then unable to heal properly. The death and failure to replace may be due to the loss of fine blood vessels in the bone or changes to the body’s system of osteoblasts (cells that make bone). As a result, the body may replace lost bone with soft fibrous tissue or may not replace it at all, resulting in deformed gums and jaws.
Unfortunately, denture irritation is one of the chief causes of osteoradionecrosis. A small amount of irritation, caused by poorly fitting dentures, food caught under the dentures, or by imbalanced bite forces, can kick off a chain reaction that leads to this serious complication.
Don’t Accept Denture Irritation
Most of us are not at risk for osteoradionecrosis, but as we age, all of us continue to suffer the degradation of our immune system and healing. The result is that injuries heal more slowly, and sometimes not at all. In this context,denture irritation isn’t a small issue, it’s an unnecessary risk. When injuries may not heal properly, any unnecessary injury can lead to permanent problems and should be avoided.
The Denture Fountain of Youth® is designed to maximize denture fit, minimize irritation, and distribute bite forces evenly, which means fewer sores that can lead to complications.
To learn more about the benefits of better-fitting dentures, please call (803) 781-9090 for an appointment with a Columbia, SC denture dentist at Smile Columbia Dentistry.
