Problems with dentures

Dentures are very hard to live with, it takes time!" (translated from a French discussion forum)

General problems, complications & inconveniences of dentures

• retching
• sore spots (denture sores)
• pain
• problems with chewing and talking
• loss of taste sensation
• bone loss:
  Once you have one or several teeth removed, the surrounding bone dissappears. Bones are living tissues and are constantly broken down and rebuilt in answer to the demands placed upon them. When there is no masticatory force (chewing pressure) applied to the jawbone or it is not applied in accordance with physiological principles (as when wearing dentures), the jaw bone is damaged and will gradually reduce in size.
• inflammation such as
  "denture-related stomatitis" or denture sore mouth:
  Dentures are frequently infected with fungi or yeast (typically Candida), with the oral mucosa underneath the denture becoming red and swollen. Most often occurring under a complete upper denture which is constantly worn or irregularly cleaned, it can be accompanied by,inflammation of the corners of the mouth.
  denture-induced fibrous inflammatory hyperplasia:
  excess tissue forming in the mouth due to rubbing on the edge of ill-fitting dentures which requires surgical removal as well as renewal or adjustment of the denture.
• aspiration pneumonia
  (due to foreign material breathed into the lungs leading to potentially fatal inflammation)
  We all have heard of people in their 90s etc. easily falling prey to and dying from pneumonia. According to Anthony Iacopino, dean of the College of Dentistry of the University of Manitoba and a spokesperson for the American Dental Association, the cause can simply be unclean dentures. Dr Iacopino says that so-called aspiration pneumonia is a "leading cause of death in older people [or denture wearers]..., often from inhaling debris around the teeth and dentures".
  A red flag to to look out for is a soft, crusty material building up around the false teeth. This kind of buildup is totally preventable by regular proper cleaning, see the "Tips for those who already wear dentures" and "Denture cleaners without toxins" further below.

Psychological factors

• Fear of the denture coming loose while talking or laughing heartily
  (this fear is not unfounded, I saw this happen to my dear aunt when I was a child).
• Case history - nightmares caused by the metals in dentures:
  Nightmares are frequently due to geopathic^[1] (or technopathic) stress. One woman however reported that no matter how she shifted her sleeping area (she had changed her bed position twenty times to no avail), she continued to have nightmares. After reading about what metals in the mouth can do, she took out her dentures before bed and for the first time, slept wonderfully throughout the night. (Case translated from the book "Die Heilkunst von Morgen" by Erika Herbst).

Case history of a patient whose dentures picked up a radio station

As reported in various newspapers in 1980, George Dillard of Silverhead, NY, complained to the police that he could hear a radio station playing music in his head. While first dismissed with the advice to just take a couple of aspirin, a police officer named David Cheshire had to yield to the evidence, he could hear the music as well. After Dillard took out his new false teeth, the music stopped. This is one example of how metals in one's mouth will increase one's body's involuntary antenna function.^[3]

On toxins, chemicals, plastics & allergens in dentures

German toxicologist Dr. Max Daunderer set out to test the base materials used in 200 different types of dentures (he was dumbfounded when he received up to 80 different powders used in one single type of denture from the respective manufacturer[s]).

Applying them in the form of patch tests on his patients for seven days (a patch test is used to determine whether a specific substance causes allergic inflammation of a person's skin), all materials tested were found to trigger allergic reactions.

All patients had previously tested the ready-made denture samples by holding them in their mouth which they were able to tolerate without untoward reactions or side effects during several days, showing that this type of test is useless.

According to Dr. Daunderer's test results, all "miracle" denture base materials including "nylon, Microbase, Paladon, Dental-D, Prosthoflex, Puran, PVSH, Artglas, Targis, Dentacolor, Charisma, Poly W, Duranglas, Bioplast natur, PE, Teflon, Flexite supreme, Promysan, Dentatex" and many others will provoke strong allergic reactions (even the allergy test itself will do harm), as will the many different materials used to manufacture the artificial teeth.

Regarding the potential health effects of materials used in the manufacture of dentures, also see Dr. Klinghardt on dental toxicity (as well as alternative filling materials) and Dr. Hulda Clark on dental detox (Guidelines for a healthy, toxin-free mouth) - according to Dr Clark, cadmium, which is "five times as toxic as lead", is used to create the pink colour in dentures.

On toxic effects of denture creams (adhesives / fixatives / glues)

Several studies have shown serious adverse effects from using denture creams containing zinc. Too much zinc intake (the oral mucosa easily absorbs what it is brought in contact with) can trigger copper deficiency (hypocupremia). Side effects observed in individuals using zinc-containing denture adhesive included neurological and hematological diseases.

(A comment I found on the internet illustrates what can hide behind these terms: "The patients developed severe nerve damage and disability from using OTC denture cream containing zinc".)

Research addressing this problem includes e.g. Denture creams: an unusual source of excess zinc, leading to hypocupremia and neurologic disease published in Neurology in 2008 and An unrecognized cause of myelopathy associated with copper deficiency: the use of denture cream. Published in the Revue Neurologique in 2011, this study observed that even after correction of the copper deficiency, the gait disturbance persisted.

Dentist Dr Robert Nara's observations

Another incredibly damaging misconception is that dentures are an acceptable replacement for natural teeth. False teeth are one of the most lucrative tricks in the dentist's bag, but they are dangerous to your health... Doctor Charles Mayo, founder of the famous Mayo Clinic... observed that all other things being equal, denture wearers could look forward to the loss of about ten years from their lifetime...

Aside from cosmetic problems and a host of mental problems; aside from the inconvenience and expense and actual decrease of longevity, dentures will rob you of physical health and vitality for the balance of your life. People think of dentures as "not bad." They should think of dentures as poison."

Safety tips for those who plan to wear dentures

• To make sure you tolerate (are not allergic to) the multiple plastics, metals and other chemicals used in dentures, do thorough and proper denture material allergy tests. Have a patch test done for at least a week before deciding which type of plastic to choose (i.e. find out which plastic you can actually tolerate).
  You can also do the more expensive LTT (Lymphocyte Transformation Test). Seven-day tests are required since metals (except nickel) are long-term allergens and cause allergic skin reactions only from the fifth day onward. Allergy-provoking plastic dentures trigger skin reactions only from the seventh day onward.

Tips for those who already wear dentures

• Number one advice is to wear them as little as possible. Dr. Max Daunderer (who ascribed many health benefits to the extraction of infected teeth and properly cleaned out jawbones and who had all his teeth extracted) used to wear his (upper) denture one hour a week - presumably for public appearances. He noted that nobody noticed the missing lower teeth (this may vary depending on structure of facial features such as length of the lower lip etc).
  At the very least, remove your dentures during sleep to avoid some of the inflammation and fungal infection issues listed above and to allow the false teeth to be disinfected in a nontoxic cleansing solution (see next heading) overnight.
• Find a dental laboratory that efficiently "detoxifies" your plastic denture of residual monomeres, benzoyl peroxide (BPO) etc. In Europe, such a laboratory can be found in Obergriesbach, Germany (www.otto-huber-dental.de).
• Cut your food into smaller pieces before eating and eat without dentures.
• If you have denture sores, try massaging them with Swedish bitters and rinsing your mouth with soothing herbal teas.^[2]
• If you suffer from oral candida infection, oil pulling with olive oil has been found to be of excellent help.
• Brush and clean your dentures regularly and thoroughly to prevent buildup of plaque, tartar and fungal infection. Avoid toxic denture cleansers (see next heading).

Denture cleaners without toxins

• See Dr. Hulda Regehr Clark's instructions for brushing teeth, mouthwashes, cleaning dentures etc.
• As with natural teeth, xylitol can be successfully used to keep dentures clean. For details re application, see xylitol sugar: more valuable uses.

If you follow all of the above advice, you should have minimum to no negative health effects from wearing dentures.

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Footnotes

1 See e.g. Geopathic Stress & Cancer: Background and Remedies.

2 See e.g. Maria Treben's herbal treatment advice for teeth and gums including for stomatitis.

3 Similarly metals (incl. heavy metals) in one's entire body tend to enhance the antenna function of the human body, see details at Exposure to electromagnetic fields and radiation (EMFs and EMRs): critical protection and avoidance measures.

Miscellaneous Risks Related to Conventional Dental Treatment