How To Avoid Denture Face

Did you know that the shape of your face may change when you get dentures? In most cases, wearing dentures will have a positive effect on the way you look. However, there are times when wearing dentures may change how you look in a way you don’t expect or like. In this article, we will look at what causes something commonly known as ‘denture face’ and how to remedy it.

How Dentures Can Change The Look Of Your Face

Bone resorption is the main cause of the shape of your face changing when you get dentures. Here is what happens: When you have teeth extracted for your upper or lower denture plate, the bone that once held your teeth changes. It remodels and resorbs as a reaction to the space left from the removed teeth. The speed of resorption is different for each person and for some, it may take years to become noticeable. The only exception to this is if you are receiving dental implants. Implants typically fill the holes in your jawbone where teeth once existed and help to minimize bone resorption.

How To Identify Denture Face

There are telltale signs to watch for that will indicate what is commonly known as denture face. They include:

Monkey Mouth

This is something that occurs when the dentures you receive are too big. When you wear them, your lips and cheeks will stick out in what can be best described as a monkey-like appearance.

What is important to remember is that, quite often, dentures tend to feel big at first… but they should not look bigger than they need to be. So sometimes people think they are too big when they just need some more time to adjust.

Another possible cause for monkey mouth is dentures that are not aligned properly to your bite. Either way, your dentist can correct these problems.

Sagging Chin

You may have heard this referred to as a witch’s chin. This is because the resorption of the lower jaw bone causes it to droop. The sagging is compounded by changes to the muscle attachments in the lower jaw. This removes some of the bulkiness of the region.

Sunken Lips Or Cheeks

A sunken face from dentures is very similar to a sagging chin. When the muscles and tissues in your face start to sag, the lips and cheeks will appear sunken. This will produce a hollow facial structure where the lips may not close properly. This can result in saliva pooling in the corners of the mouth which can develop into a condition known as cheilitis.

How To Correct Denture Face

There are several tricks you can employ to fix your sunken face from dentures. You may have to combine more than one of the following methods, but there is a way to fix the situation. Here are a few suggestions:

Consider A Different Type of Denture

There is something to be said about the quality of dentures. Generally, the more costly they are, the better the quality. At the lower end of the scale is economy dentures. These don’t always fit correctly and can look fake. They will also be less comfortable than a better-quality denture. Another option is implant-supported dentures. These are smaller dentures that are removable and because they rely on implants to support the dentures, bone resorption is less.

The more expensive and better-quality options will generally look and fit better.

Have A Nutritious Diet

What does eating well have to do with denture face? When you consider the primary cause of a sunken face is bone loss in the jaw, the food you eat can help the situation a great deal. A diet rich in meats, vegetables, fruits, and unprocessed foods will heal bones and keep them strong.

Keep Some of Your Natural Teeth

Unless you have to remove all of your teeth for dentures, you will experience far less bone loss by leaving some of your natural teeth in place. This allows you to look at partial dentures as an option. Partials fill gaps between natural teeth and will not cause as much bone loss as extracting a complete row of teeth.

See A Specialist For An Adjustment

Dentures that feel too big can be adjusted. Your dentist can perform a couple of procedures that can assist in correcting the problem. One is to shave down the size of the false teeth in the denture if they are oversized. Another possibility is relining the denture to sit better on your gum line.

Utilize Soft Liners

Soft liners can lift dentures enough that they fill the space where your face has sunken. The benefit of these liners is that they can help to keep your dentures in place. Relining your dentures can help to ensure a snug fit and prevent them from dislodging or slipping when eating or speaking.

Get a New Set of Dentures

Wearing dentures that fit properly can help to prevent bone loss. However, if your dentures don’t fit properly, then there may be areas of uneven pressure between your denture and jawbone. In areas where the jawbone under the gums is not being stimulated, it can lead to bone loss. The only ways to fix this are to get a denture reline or a new set of dentures.

How Wearing Dentures Improves The Look of Your Face

When you have dentures that fit properly, they will fill out your facial features. This gives you a healthy-looking face. Plus, when you can smile with a perfect smile, it increases your confidence which also improves your appearance. Dentures can have a very positive impact on how you feel about yourself and the way you look. But this is only possible when the dentures fit as they should and are not too big for your mouth.

Denture Face FAQs

In Conclusion

If you have a sunken face from dentures, there are many things that may help to remedy the situation. If you leave it unchecked, the bone loss and weakened mouth and facial muscles will not get better on their own. You want to avoid this as dentures are intended to improve your appearance and self-esteem, not take away from it.