About a third of denture wearers have loose dentures: study

About a third of denture wearers have loose dentures: study
By Vimita Mohandas | Posted: 13 June 2011 2022 hrs
 
SINGAPORE : About a third of denture wearers in Singapore are trying to cope with loose-fitting dentures, according to a recent study by Polident of more than 1,000 denture wearers in Singapore between the ages of 15 and 60 years.

Denture wearers may be dealing with more than just teething problems.

They may be at a higher risk of suffering from oral health complications because of poor nutrition as they opt for softer and wetter food which requires less effort to chew and swallow.

They tend to avoid certain foods - such as peanuts and seeds - because they are hard to chew with loose-fitting dentures.

Besides poorer nutrition, these people may face higher health risks as their diet may not be balanced or complete.

The solution could be an easy-to-use denture adhesive cream. It improves the stability of dentures and allows wearers to eat a variety of food.

Dr Wong Keng Mun, past president of Prosthodontic Society (Singapore), said: "For denture wearers, one thing is, really, how do we prevent food from going underneath and how do we increase the stability.

"And now one easy way is to have the adhesive because the adhesive seals the border of the denture so seeds won't get underneath. And because this denture adhesive acts like a glue ... between the hard and soft tissue, so that it sticks quite well, the patient can eat quite well as well."

Denture wearers who used the adhesive cream saw a 30 per cent improvement in their chewing efficiency.

At S$8 a tube, it is much cheaper than dental implants, which can cost as much as S$6,000 a tooth.

Dental implants may also not be suitable for patients suffering from high blood pressure and uncontrolled diabetes.

Dr Wong also advised denture wearers to visit the dentist at least once a year to assess the condition of their dentures.

- CNA/al

- wong chee tat :)