Denture Impact on Quality of Life

New denture wearers can face a difficult transition¹

New patients may have unrealistic expectations for their new dentures,²and the transition from natural teeth can be traumatic.¹

The Personal Impact of Dentures

Impact on relationships

63% of patients with full dentures have biofilm and calculus on their dentures³
Trapped food

Trapped food

Entrapped food particles can cause discomfort.⁴Trapped food is the #1 denture wearer complaint with 86% of denture wearers experiencing discomfort from trapped food.⁵

The transition to dentures can be traumatic

The trauma of tooth extraction

Tooth extraction

Tooth extraction can be traumatic for patients and often results in accelerated bone resorption.¹

32% experienced reduction in horizontal bone dimension within 3 months after extraction.³
Discomfort of immediate dentures
Immediate dentures

Immediate dentures play an important role:¹

Aesthetic, psychological and functional reasons

Bandage and protect extraction wounds

Prevent bleeding

But the transition can be challenging for patients:¹

Changes in denture fit and comfort

Poor retention

Key challenges facing the new denture patient:

Discomfort

The psychological impact of tooth loss, which increases in impact with the number of teeth lost

Accepting that removable dentures do not provide the same functional benefit as natural teeth

Reduction in quality of life: avoiding particular foods, difficulty relaxing, avoidance of social situations
Further mobility and tooth loss associated with partial dentures can affect quality of life^9,10

In a 2015 study, the majority of patients with partial dentures reported tooth loss as the most common condition suffered; impacting their overall quality of life.⁶
Impact of excessive functional forces
Excessive functional forces on natural teeth may cause further mobility and tooth loss.^7,8,9

Up to 30% of natural teeth abutting dentures demonstrated increased mobility.⁹

Retentive clasps may be unsuitable or lose retention over time⁸

Retention may become more dependent upon the mucosa and muscular control⁸