Answering: Can Dentures Be Fitted to Receding Gums?
Gum disease is a common and serious infection, and it’s the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Beyond its impact on oral health, gum disease is also a significant indicator of other systemic health issues, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which are frequently found in patients with gum disease.
Many patients who deal with gum recession are also battling missing teeth. These individuals need to know if they can replace missing teeth with dentures even with poor gum health. Full and partial dentures are still an option and may even help your remaining natural teeth if done right.
What is Gingival Recession?
Gingivitis, or gum inflammation, often precedes periodontitis, a more severe form of gum disease. It’s caused by plaque buildup around the gumline. While not all cases of gingivitis advance to periodontitis, many people experience it, with bleeding during brushing being a common but often overlooked symptom. At this stage, the teeth remain secure since no irreversible damage has occurred, and gingivitis is reversible with proper treatment.
However, untreated gingivitis can progress to periodontal disease, where the gum tissue and bone begin to recede from the teeth, forming pockets that trap plaque and debris. These pockets become infected, leading to further damage as bacteria erode the supporting structures of the teeth.
Gum Disease Symptoms and Prevention
Gum recession can present with several symptoms, including:
- Red, swollen, and tender gums that bleed easily/li>
- A receding gum line
- Pus or drainage around the teeth
- Persistent bad breath or an unpleasant taste in the mouth
- Teeth that have shifted or become loose
It’s important to remember that bleeding gums are never normal. If your gums bleed when you brush or floss, it indicates gingivitis or periodontal disease. In some cases, periodontal disease may not show any warning signs or symptoms, which is why it’s crucial to maintain good dental hygiene practices at home and visit your dentist regularly for check-ups.
Good hygiene can prevent gum disease entirely. Early detection of periodontal disease improves the chances of stopping its progression and avoiding the need for dentures
Fitting Dentures to Receding Gums
Fitting dentures to receding gums is an option. However, the more critical question to consider is, “Will I have enough bone to support dentures?” This is a different issue entirely.
If you’ve been diagnosed with gum disease, you may eventually face a difficult decision. The longer periodontal disease is allowed to progress, the more it erodes your gums and jawbone, leaving less bone available for dentures to rest on. This can make wearing dentures even more challenging. If you’ve struggled with gum disease for most of your life, it’s unlikely that the condition will improve on its own.
Options like gum grafts may help, but only if you take action soon. You may need to remove the affected teeth and get dentures sooner rather than later.
Can You Get Screw-In Dentures If You Have Receding Gums?
Many patients wonder if implant-supported dentures, often referred to as screw-in dentures, are an option for them, especially when they have less bone to support traditional dentures. Unfortunately, as gum disease advances, the likelihood of being a candidate for dental implants decreases. Significant bone loss may require extensive bone grafting to create enough bone structure for implants to be successfully placed.
To qualify for dental implants, you need healthy gums and sufficient bone. If you’ve had advanced gum disease for a long time, it’s important to understand that implants are not immune to gum disease either. Peri-implantitis is a condition that affects implants similarly to how periodontitis affects natural teeth.
Without a strong commitment to stopping smoking, improving your daily dental hygiene routine, and significantly enhancing your home care, there is a risk that your implants could fail just like the natural teeth they replaced.
Treatment of Gingival Recession
Gingival recession is a common issue in clinical practice and is often associated with various complications such as dentine hypersensitivity, root caries, non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs), and aesthetic concerns.
The first step in managing and preventing gingival recession is identifying the factors that contribute to its development and those that can be modified. Non-surgical treatment options include optimizing plaque control, removing overhanging subgingival restorations, implementing behavior change interventions, and using desensitizing agents.
When surgery is necessary, procedures like the coronally advanced flap and tunneling, combined with a connective tissue graft, are considered the most effective for treating single and multiple recession defects. If a connective tissue graft from the palate is not an option due to contraindications or patient preference, alternatives such as acellular dermal matrices, collagen matrices, and enamel matrix derivatives can be viable solutions.
For gingival recession linked to NCCLs, a combined restorative-surgical approach can yield favorable outcomes. If surgery is declined or not recommended, maintaining gingival health through preventive care is crucial.
Dentures With Gum Recession
For many individuals who have been battling gum disease and tooth loss, dentures are still an option.
At European Denture Center, our compassionate dental professionals are here to help you make the best decision for your unique situation. Whether you need to replace a few missing teeth or get complete dentures, we offer a variety of denture options to restore your smile and enhance your appearance.
Explore the range of services at European Denture Center—your path to better dental health could be just a click or phone call away!