I love that my family dentist is tech-savvy. It's so easy to book a dentist on his smartphone app if I have a tooth problem or if anyone in my family needs emergency problems (I can choose either my normal dentist or another dentist in his practise depending on availability). He also has some great cameras so that we can see exactly what is going on during treatment. I prefer not to see this, but my kids love to be able to see the dentist using his specialised tools to clean and repair their teeth. This blog has some tips on finding a tech-savvy dentist to help give your family the best possible dental care.
When you first begin wearing your immediate dentures, you may find that they don't fit quite as snugly as you'd hoped. If they are a little tight at first, that should change once the swelling goes down. However, in some cases immediate dentures can be a little loose at first. Because of this, you might struggle to keep them in when speaking or eating, for example.
However, before you reach for the denture adhesive, you need to make sure that you don't disturb your healing gums. While it is okay to use a little denture adhesive, you need to take care when doing so.
Dentists Recommend Waiting a Week
Under normal circumstances, your dentist will recommend that you allow your extraction sites to heal before applying denture adhesive. Where there are no stitches, it usually takes about a week for the blood clot in an extraction site to stabilize. Around about the same amount of time is needed for sutured gums to heal.
Some patients struggle more than others to get used to keeping their dentures in. As a result, you can use a little denture adhesive, provided you use it sparingly and carefully.
Avoid Extraction Sites
This seems obvious but it is worth stating since dry socket is a very painful condition. Make sure the denture adhesive does not get on or in your healing extraction sites. For upper dentures, place the denture adhesive on the roof of your mouth. This way, the adhesive can adhere to the denture plate to keep the denture in place.
For lower dentures, you may need to wait at least a week before using denture adhesive. Otherwise, the adhesive may disturb the healing process, causing dry socket. Likewise, if your extractions sites have stitches, applying denture adhesive is unwise. You may end up pulling your stitches out when you next remove your dentures.
Speak to Your Dentist
Before you do anything, speak to your dentist. They performed the extractions, which means they are the only person qualified enough to tell you how to use denture adhesive so soon after your extractions. Therefore, if you are struggling to speak or eat comfortably, call your dentist and explain your problem.
You may need to book another appointment so your dentist can examine your extraction sites and advise you on how best to use denture adhesive while your gums heal. In 4-6 weeks, your dentist will likely reline the inside of your denture to ensure it fits comfortably and snugly. Until then, careful use of denture adhesive is advised. Contact a dentist to learn more about dental services that could help you adjust to dentures.
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