Dentistry-Online

Inflammation under a denture

Inflammation under a denture occurs when the existing removable denture does not fit properly. Often the prosthesis then presses heavily on the underlying gums at one point and a so-called pressure point occurs. The affected region turns red and swells a little. If left unchecked, the area will continue to become infected and blisters or open spots may appear on the skin. This leads to burning pain as soon as the prosthesis is loaded while chewing.

causes

The cause of inflammation underneath a prosthesis is often the poor fit of the prosthesis. In the case of a new prosthesis, the poor fit is mostly caused by errors in the molding of the prosthesis; in the case of old, previously suitable prostheses, the cause is age-related bone remodeling. Due to the lack of its own teeth, the bone has a tendency to regress and degrade over the years, which means that even a once precisely fitting prosthesis can sit loosely after a while and press on various places.

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Other reasons could be: the denture plastic has flaked off (because the denture has fallen), the denture is very dirty because it is not cleaned often enough. Most of the causes of an unsuitable prosthesis are harmless, but in isolated cases tumors, i.e. cancer-related growths of the mucous membrane, can cause inflammation under a prosthesis.

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Bruises

The pressure point is the most common complaint after fitting a prosthesis. In contrast to gums, plastic is very hard and, once it has a shape, cannot cling to the gums and bones. The alveolar ridge and the gums, however, adapt a little to the new prosthesis. However, this only happens to a certain extent.

If the prosthesis is incorrectly loaded due to incorrect tooth contact or if a point protrudes in the plastic, the gums are permanently stressed at one point. This constant pressure leads to pain and a sore mouth over time. This is called a pressure point. By removing this pressure, the symptoms usually heal within a few days.

diagnosis

The dentist makes the diagnosis by looking in the mouth. If the pressure point is already pronounced, the area is red and swollen. For further clarification, the doctor scans the surrounding region and looks at how far the pain is radiating.
If there is no reddening, the dentist has various impression materials available with which he can pinpoint the painful area. To do this, he injects a liquid mass onto the prosthesis, puts it into the mouth and lets it clench. After the mass has hardened, the excessively high point pushes through the impression mass and can be treated in a targeted manner.

These symptoms could indicate inflammation under the prosthesis

If the inflammation below the denture is triggered by a pressure point, slight pressure occurs on the gums or the alveolar ridge at the beginning of the symptoms. After a while, and especially when chewing, this pressure increases until pain occurs when the prosthesis is loaded. This is the main symptom at the same time. The affected area is reddened at the beginning, but can also turn white in the middle due to strong pressure.

Often the area swells and an open wound is created, which is lined with a slightly yellowish wound coating. If the load is incorrect, it can happen that the prosthesis no longer fits properly. For example, through one-sided loading, the prosthesis is levered off on the opposite side and one point is excessively loaded. This in turn creates a pressure point that can be very painful. If there are additional sensory disturbances in the area of the inflamed area, such as numbness of the skin / mucous membrane and severe swelling develops, a visit to the doctor should not be delayed too long, because this could be a tumor.

Also read the article on the topic: Swollen gums

Treatment / therapy

In the simplest case of the pressure point, the dentist localizes the affected region and grinds the prosthesis in there. This means that he removes the part that is interfering with a milling cutter and additionally smooths the denture acrylic. In this way, the area is no longer so heavily stressed and the pressure is better distributed over the entire surrounding region. In order to obtain an exact reduction of the plastic, the dentist usually grinds very carefully and lets the patient test again and again whether the area still hurts when biting together. To improve wound healing, at the end of the treatment he applies a preparation containing cortisone to the affected area and reinserts the prosthesis. This allows the ointment to act and heal well for a longer period of time.

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The dentist must reline the prosthesis in the event of bone decline or incorrect loading of the prosthesis. In this type of treatment, the dentist injects an impression material onto the underside of the denture and then puts it in the mouth. After the mass has hardened, the denture is reworked in the dental laboratory and new denture resin is applied to the molded area. The denture fits perfectly again and can still be worn. If a tumor is responsible for the inflammation, treatment must be given by an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon in the hospital. As a rule, the removal of the tumor and the surrounding tissue is accelerated, with subsequent further therapy planning.

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Duration / forecast

The duration of this inflammation caused by a pressure point is around 3-5 days with adequate treatment. After the treatment at the dentist, the pain often persists for a day or two and then gradually subsides.
The prognosis is therefore very good, provided the symptoms are not caused by a tumor. Sometimes, however, it can take a few days longer or there may be another pressure point after the treatment, which means that further dentist appointments are necessary until the prosthesis is properly seated again.