An interview with...

Getting used to eating with new dentures can take time. In some cases it can take weeks to months and can depend on –

• Previous denture history
• How long the previous dentures were worn
• Patients ability to adapt
• Techniques used
• The dentures design
• Shape of the gums
• Retention and stability of the dentures

When biting together many patients have a reduction in the length of their face, which is caused by many years of wearing ill-fitting and worn down dentures. By returning the dentures to the correct size and contour the face returns to its natural profile and the dentures may temporarily affect a patients chewing and biting ability.

I advise my patients that when wearing their new dentures for the first time that they avoid tough, hard and sticky foods until they become more accustomed to their replacement dentures.

Biting on the front teeth of even the best made denture can cause an upper denture to lever away from the gums so it's advisable to bite slightly to the side and more towards the back teeth causing less leverage.

• Some simple advice to help a patient move onto a normal diet would be -
• Chew on both sides of the mouth at the same time
• Cut food into small pieces and eat slowly
• Chew up and down, rather than from side to side

The patient should also consider the advantages that dental implants offer.

The Swiss Denture Concept can help patients who have experienced advanced bone loss in their lower jaw due to the loss of all natural teeth. The system is based on the lifetime work of the late Professor Albert Gerber of the University of Zurich.

For many patients the lower ridge that once supported the natural teeth resorbs away, leaving none of the retentive features necessary for retaining a full lower denture.

The system offers a unique pestle and mortar design of the back denture teeth which minimises any tilting and wobbling when a patient eats, stabilising the lower denture, making them more comfortable to wear. Next generation wear optimised ceramic particles are used in the manufacture of the denture teeth which makes them longer-lasting. There is a wide choice of tooth shapes and natural looking tooth colours unique to the Swiss Denture Concept.

It is generally considered that dentures are replaced every 5 years but it can vary from person to person. Tooth wear and gum resorption result in visually poor dentures that no longer fit. Instead of having the dentures replaced patients start to use a denture adhesive and continue to wear their dentures for too many years.

The face changes also with age and the crucial support needed from the dentures, especially around the mouth, lips and cheeks can be lost and a patient looks older as a consequence.