Diabetes is a condition that will require ongoing monitoring for the rest of your life. This is something that diabetics will become accustomed to, and you're probably already used to monitoring your diet, and perhaps even measuring your blood sugar if needed. If you have diabetes and need to wear dentures, you need to pay careful attention to how well your dentures fit. An improperly-fitting set of dentures can cause complications for those who suffer from diabetes, but it's not particularly difficult to fix.
A Receding Jaw Bone
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can cause a reduction in the density of your bone minerals. This is commonly called bone loss, although it's more of a slight retraction of your bones. This is particularly evident in your jaws. A small amount of jaw bone loss is common after tooth loss. The jaw bone is no longer required to support the tooth, and so it will recede slightly. This receding is more pronounced in diabetics (due to the reduction in your bone density caused by the condition), and this means that over time, your dentures will no longer fit as well as they used to. There is no set timeframe for this, and it can depend on a multitude of factors, such as your age and the severity of your diabetes. Dentures that do not fit accurately can cause damage to your gums. They will rub against your gums, causing irritation—and even small wounds in extreme cases.
Impaired Blood Circulation
Such damage (whether it leads to a wound or not) is harder for your body to repair when you have diabetes. This is often due to impaired blood circulation, which is a common trait in diabetics. This means that even a small wound or source of irritation can develop into something more serious as it is not able to properly heal. Ensuring that your dentures fit and don't cause irritation becomes even more important for diabetics for this very reason.
Denture Relining
You should have your dentures examined as often as your dentist recommends. Having said this, if your dentures become uncomfortable, don't be afraid to schedule an appointment with your dentist or with a dental prosthetist (who specialises in dentures). The situation can easily be remedied by having your dentures relined. This is when an additional wafer-thin layer of base material is applied to the upper and/or lower denture to ensure a proper fit. Such relining might be required from time-to-time, and it's not only an issue for those with diabetes. Diabetes simply makes it more important that you don't delay the process.
If you are affected by diabetes and notice that your dentures have become uncomfortable, please see a dentist or dental prosthetist as soon as possible. Ensuring that your dentures fit properly is a lesser-known (though very important) aspect of diabetes management.
Share5 May 2016
Miranda Raff here. My brother is a stressed-out dental student, so I'm starting this blog on his behalf. I work in a travel agency and my brother is mortified by the number of dental tourism stories I bring home. I book short holidays for people who seem as though they are going to enjoy some relaxation in an exotic country, only to learn that they plan to have cheap dental procedures. Whilst there are good dentists in developing countries, according to my brother, the complex procedures these people plan to have simply can't be finished in such a limited time. This blog is an attempt to inform you about the high skill levels and advanced technology found in Australian dental surgeries. New techniques are being developed every year and Australian dentists are at the forefront of offering these solutions. I really hope this blog helps you to appreciate our dentists.
