If you don’t have any natural teeth anymore, why bother to visit the dentist? It seems like a reasonable question. Even if you retain a few of your natural teeth, you may find yourself wondering what’s so important about finding the time in your schedule to make an appointment and follow through, all for a couple old teeth.

            It’s easy to slip into this way of thinking without realizing it will seriously threaten your dental health. Today, we will identify some of the main reasons that it is still important to schedule and attend regular checkups at your dentist’s office, even once you’ve made the switch to false teeth.

Denture Cleanings

You know how when you go to the dentist for your natural teeth, they brush and floss for you and remove the tartar that’s gotten all built up? Well, dentures get dirty too. Regular denture checkups allow the dentist to provide the same service for your false teeth that they would for your real: a professional scrub-up. This cleaning is even more vital if any of your natural teeth remain. Teeth that share space with dentures are at increased risk of decay. A regular visit allows the dentist to give a professional cleaning to any teeth you have, false or otherwise. 

Special Instructions

As Bayport Dental Care explains, at dental visits, dentists can “demonstrate proper cleaning techniques, recommend appropriate cleaning products, and address the patient’s concerns or questions. Effective denture oral hygiene practices help to prevent oral infections, maintain oral health, and extend denture life.” If you’re confused at all about how to handle your dentures, a real appointment is the best and most direct way to address your concerns.

Function and Comfort Improvement

Have you noticed the dentures that once fit perfectly are now causing you discomfort, maybe even to the point of affecting your ability to eat normally? As it turns out, this isn’t out of the ordinary. Lifetime Dental explains, “Over time, the hard and soft tissues in the mouth tend to change. These shifts can change your bite and throw off the fit of your dentures, resulting in discomfort and an increased risk of health issues like gum disease, sores, TMJ, sleep apnea, and even poor nutrition.” This is a sure sign it’s time for a checkup. Rather than somehow trying to manhandle your dentures into a more comfortable shape (which will likely only give you a broken pair of dentures), visit the dentist. They will be happy to give your dentures the adjustment they need, improving both their comfort and their function.

Oral Disease Screening

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Oral cancer is a common cancer of the head and neck, affecting people all around the world. Nearly 54,000 Americans receive an oral or oropharyngeal cancer diagnosis each year.” This cancer isn’t naturally the deadliest, nor is it undetectable. Cleveland Clinic furthers, “…fatality rates are high because oral cancer is too often detected late in its development. Oral cancer screenings are the best tool available for early diagnosis and treatment.”

While dentists don’t actually cure cancer (yet), they do typically perform oral cancer screenings as part of a normal checkup and will refer you to an oncologist if they notice anything suspicious. Oral cancer is just one example of the diseases that can be spotted and addressed early on through routine dental checkups. By neglecting to visit the dentist regularly because it seems silly to let them brush fake teeth, you forgo the prevention and protection they offer against real and threatening disease.

Bone Resorption Prevention

If you’ve never heard of bone resorption before, the main thing you need to know is that it is something you want to slow as much as possible. One dentistry explains: “After your teeth are removed, the bone that used to support them is considered surplus material by your body, which removes the bone and uses the nutrients elsewhere. As this process occurs, denture wearers notice changes in how their dentures fit and function.”

As Dr. Adam Hahn details, “Your face has… lost a lot of support and height from the resorption of jawbone. The back part of the lower jaw are the most visible victims of this. With less bone material, the jaws will close together more tightly, leaving you with ‘excess’ skin and other soft tissues, which shows up as deep folding, wrinkles, jowls, and turkey neck.” If your dentures don’t fit properly, that could exacerbate the issue. While dentists cannot stop this process from happening, they can work with you to figure out causes and suggest solutions for slowing it down.

Overall Oral Health Monitoring

Even those without teeth still have other elements of the oral cavity that require monitoring, like the tongue or the gums. Diseases like oral cancer, for instance, can affect even those who no longer have their natural teeth. Gum disease, a condition that affects nearly half of adults 30 and older, is similarly neutral whether its victim has natural teeth or not. Regular visits are crucial because they allow dentists to monitor the health of a patient’s entire oral health, spot problems early, and treat issues when they arise.

Extending Denture Life

This point is fairly self-evident: clean, well-fitted dentures that the user understands how to care for well will last longer than misaligned, dirty, or neglected dentures. This is valuable, because dentures usually cost somewhere around $2,000 a pop! By visiting your dentist for regular checkups even if you no longer have any natural teeth for them to check, you give your dentures themselves the greatest possible lifespan.

In summary: we understand if it feels tedious to visit the dentist when you no longer have natural teeth. However, it will help protect you against dangerous conditions like oral cancer and gum disease, promote the longevity, function, and comfort of your dentures, and ensure your overall health. If you have further questions about how best to care for your teeth, gums, or dentures themselves, please reach out. If you need to schedule your next appointment, please contact our office today. We look forward to seeing you.