After a long period of denture wearing, I’m losing gum tissue and bone. Can this be fixed?

Dental research has shown that once teeth have been removed, the jaw bone shrinks and changes shape. Dentures should receive a full examination by a denturist every year to see if relining the denture will solve these issues. However, dentures should also be replaced every 5-10 years.

In the long-term, denture adhesive may mask the looseness of your dentures, but you will still not be receiving the function and appearance that you deserve. When your bone shrinks, your entire face changes and this can contribute to aging your appearance. Physical characteristics of bone loss include a deep wrinkling around the mouth, a pointed chin, and the corners of the mouth turning downward.

Denture implants have the ability to prevent bone loss, since their presence stimulates the jaw (as a natural tooth root would), while restoring biting strength and chewing ability. For this reason, denture implants can provide a good proactive solution to this issue, but they will not be able to restore lost tissue or bone structure after the fact.