Is there a Soft Denture?

I hate the feel of the denture plate on the roof of my mouth. Is there a way to get a soft denture so I don’t feel like I’m going to gag all the time? I’m only 45 years old and don’t feel like spending the rest of my life with this.

Stacey A.

Dear Stacey,

I’m sorry you are having a hard time with your dentures. There are many patients that absolutely hate them, so you are not alone in that aspect. While there are soft denture liners that help patients who have a bony ridge keep from getting sores, they are more expensive and don’t last very long. Either way, that doesn’t solve your problem.

Currently, there is not a soft or pliable denture plate. That is because you need the firmness in order to help you chew. I do have a solution, but it will mean an additional procedure. I actually think this will be very important for you because of your young age.

Dentures and Facial Collapse

There is an unfortunate side effect that comes with dentures called facial collapse. Your body recognizes when your teeth are not there because there are no teeth roots in your jaw bone. As a result, your body begins to resorb the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body. It does this in an effort to be efficient with its resources. Unfortunately, after about ten or more years you will no longer have enough jawbone left in your bottom arch to retain your dentures.

Not only will this age your appearance by decades, you will also find it impossible to eat food that requires you to chew, relegating you to a liquid diet. This is likely to sabotage your health.

The solution to facial collapse, as well as the gagging you’ve been experiencing, is to get implant-supported dentures. This uses four to six dental implants on each arch and then anchors your dentures to them. Not only will you no longer need that denture plate at all, the implants signal to your brain that you still need your jawbone for the roots and leaves the bone intact.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.