Dentures in White Bear Lake, MN

Geriatric Dental Care

The good news is that more and more people are keeping their teeth as they grow older. The most important thing is to keep visiting your dentist at the interval that they recommend for your particular situation. If your health or medication situation changes, advise your dentist right away. It could have an impact on how your dental treatment proceeds.

How to Prevent Gum Disease

Dental decay remains a problem for mature adults. Be sure to brush twice a day, especially after meals, and pay particular attention to the gum line. Flossing, of course, remains vital. As we age, dry mouth can become a problem. Talk to your dentist about ways to stimulate the flow of saliva. In addition to your fluoride toothpaste, your dentist may be able to recommend special toothpaste for sensitive areas in your mouth.

Caring for Your Dentures in White Bear Lake

If you wear dentures, be sure to clean them and your mouth thoroughly each day. Talk with your dentist about how frequently you need to have an oral check-up and to have your dentures checked.

How Long Do Dentures Last?

With proper care, a set of dentures should last a long time. However, it's likely that over time dentures will need to be relined, remade or rebased, not because of problems with the apparatus, but because of the natural changes aging causes in your mouth. Bone and gum ridges can shrink or recede, making jaws line up differently. Shrinking ridges can make dentures fit less securely.

Loose dentures can lead to health problems like sores and infections. A loose denture also can make chewing difficult and uncomfortable and can change your facial features. To make a rebased denture, the dentist uses the existing denture teeth and makes a new denture base.

Caring For Your Dentures 

These are some of the reasons why it's important to remain vigilant about your oral health and make regular trips to the dentist even after you begin wearing dentures. Every morning, for instance, you should brush your gums, tongue and palate with a soft-bristled brush before you put in your dentures. The brushing removes plaque and stimulates blood circulation in your gums. A balanced diet that provides proper nutrition is also important for denture wearers.

Contact Our White Bear Lake Clinic

Ask your dentist for advice on making your dentures last. At White Bear Smiles, we specialize in geriatric dentistry and dentures. Contact us to schedule a dentures consultation!

Keeping steady pressure on the denture after surgery will promote clotting of the extraction sites and help decrease the blood flow. You may still notice slight bleeding for two to three days after your surgery in White Bear Lake.

A cold compress can help with swelling or discomfort immediately after surgery. Be sure to stick with soft foods for the first few days after surgery. 

Keep your dentures in for the first night, but use a warm salt water rinse before bed. Mix one teaspoon of salt into one cup of warm water. 

Starting on day two, carefully remove your denture twice a day and clean brush it with a non-abrasive toothpaste or use a denture cleaner. Also, continue warm salt-water rinses.

In the Following Days After Surgery

We recommend that you sleep with the denture in for the first week unless we tell you otherwise. Then, you can take it out when sleeping so the gum tissues can relax and breathe.

You might experience periods of a loose-fitting denture due to gum shrinkage within the first six months. We'll use a temporary liner or adhesive as needed during this time.

Visit White Bear Smiles for Periodic Denture Checks 

After six to 12 months, when the gum shrinkage has settled, we may insert a more permanent reline or make a new denture.  

You might experience irritation of your gums or sore spots caused by the denture length or from uneven pressure applied to the healing gum tissue. Call your White Bear Lake dentist immediately if you have discomfort or notice any sore areas.