When a dental patient first receives their dentures, wearing them is often painful or uncomfortable. After all, they now have to live with a foreign body in their mouth. The tongue and surrounding tissues will need time to adjust to these new conditions. However, one particularly difficult area for some denture patients to deal with is the palate plate, which just happens to be a vital component of a denture.
If then, you have been considering removing it yourself or having your dentist remove it for you, you need to better understand the ramifications of taking this course of action.
You Will Need to Use More Denture Adhesive
The dental plate of a denture helps the prosthesis remain in place by providing suction caused by the thin film of saliva between the plate and the roof of your mouth. If you take this away, be prepared to have to use more dental adhesive than normal to keep your upper dentures in place. This means longer cleaning time, and an increased risk of embarrassing mishaps occurring, such as the denture falling out, especially if you wear it quite often.
The Denture Will Move Around More
Whilst eating and speaking, your dentures require stability. Normally, this is provided by the suction that a denture palate plate provides. Without this, your upper denture will move around on your gums causing discomfort and serving as a source of constant distraction.
Have Your Prosthodontist do it for You
If your gag reflex is so severe that you cannot stand to be in your upper dentures for very long, or you have difficulties breathing, ask your prosthodontist to shorten or adjust the palate plate. Under no circumstances should you remove a palate plate yourself. The acrylic material of a denture is not the kind of material to be just cut with a pair of scissors or pliers. That could compromise the entire prosthesis.
Consider Snap-on Dentures
Your best option for a denture that replaces several teeth is to combine dental implants with your denture. This kind of denture is often called a snap-on denture because the denture is designed in such a way that it can be fixed to the mini-implants to provide stability, and can also be removed by the patient. Snap-on dentures or implant-supported dentures, require a minimum of 2 dental implants.
If your new dentures are causing you to gag or making it difficult for you to breathe, talk to your dentist before making any rash decisions. Otherwise, you could damage your dentures beyond repair.
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