Do All Dentures Need Denture Adhesive?

Posted on: 17 November 2022

Should everyone who wears dentures use denture adhesive? These types of adhesive are widely available at clinics and supermarkets, so it's reasonable to think it's a necessary accessory for your full dentures. The fact is that might be necessary on a short-term basis. You shouldn't permanently need denture adhesive, and when it's used, it's a temporary solution to a temporary problem. What does all this mean?

Making Your Denture Bases

Cast your mind back to when you first received your dentures. Full mouth dentures involve full denture bases for both your upper and lower palates. The bases are the pink-coloured plates that hold your dentures' false teeth. These bases are designed to exactly match the internal surfaces of your mouth, and this is why your dentist took a precise impression of the contours of your mouth, creating a physical model that was used to make your dentures.

The Original Fit

This carefully-created exact fit is what helps full-mouth dentures fit so well. They slot into place and use the saliva in your mouth to create suction, which gives them extra stability. New dentures adhere comfortably and securely, so what's the point of using a chemical adhesive? At this stage, there was no point. But the way your dentures originally fit won't last forever.

Ongoing Changes

Over the years, the internal surfaces of your mouth change. These changes are negligible, and you're not going to notice them. But your dentures will notice. The most relevant changes occur in your jaw. When it no longer has anchor teeth, the bone loses some of its density, which is a perfectly natural process. These subtle, ongoing changes, in turn, change the shape of your upper and lower palates. This means that, eventually, your dentures won't fit as well as they initially did. 

Denture Modification

These slowly developing changes don't mean you suddenly need to start using denture adhesive each day. The problem is solved by denture relining. A thin layer of acrylic material is added to your denture bases, and their optimal fit is restored. Denture adhesive can be beneficial if you need to temporarily secure your dentures before you can find time to have them relined. But as mentioned, this must only be a short-term fix, and relining is the only practical permanent solution. It's a quick solution, too, as it can usually be done while you wait.

Sure, use denture adhesive as needed in the short term. But it's not a permanent option, and the fact you need it demonstrates that it's time for your dentures to be relined. For more information about using full dentures, reach out to a local clinic.

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