Do you wear dentures? If so, do you wear them to bed? Recent research tells us that if you do, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Wearing dentures to bed can have ill effects on your oral and physical health. In today’s blog, your Lake Forest Dentist, Dr. Fondriest, explains why denture wearers should beware.
Take Dentures out at Night
Today’s dentures are so much more comfortable than dentures years ago, and they fit better too. They may be so comfortable, in fact, that you wear your dentures to bed. However, wearing dentures to bed can be dangerous to your health. According to an online study published October 7th in the Journal of Dental Research denture wearers who sleep with their dentures in, are twice as likely to develop pneumonia as those who remove their dentures at night.
Wearing Your Dentures to Bed
The study followed 524 men and women, whose average age was 88, for three years. During that three years there were 28 hospitalizations and 20 deaths due to pneumonia. The 41 percent who wore their dentures while they slept were twice as likely to develop pneumonia. Seniors who wore their dentures while sleeping were also more likely to suffer gingival inflammation, stomatitis, and tongue and denture plaque. Dentures can also cause plaque to be pushed deeper into the gum line. Wearing dentures can put extra pressure on the jaw bone, gums, and natural teeth used to support partial dentures. It is important to keep these areas clean to avoid gum irritation, and additional bone and tissue loss. Therefore, your Lake Forest dentist, Dr. Fondriest, cautions against wearing dentures while sleeping.
About Your Lake Forest Dentist:
Aside from providing dependable general and restorative dentistry services to our community, Dr. James Fondriest also holds respected academic appointments at the Pankey Institute in Key Biscayne, FL, and the Spear Institute in Scottsdale, AZ, and he is a former adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Prosthodontics at the University of Florida Dental School. At Lake Forest Dental Arts, Dr. Fondriest combines his impressive array of experience with modern technology and caring, compassionate, knowledgeable staff, and we proudly serve patients from all of the surrounding communities. To schedule a consultation, call our office today at (847) 234-0517.