A slipping denture is frustrating and embarrassing, especially when you are eating or talking in a meeting. The good news is that the cause can usually be found and corrected. The first step is understanding why it is happening.
Common reasons dentures slip
- The jawbone has shrunk: after teeth are lost, the ridge of bone that held them slowly reduces, year after year. A denture that fitted well five years ago may now be sitting on a smaller, flatter base. This is the most common cause in long-term wearers.
- It is a new denture: the muscles of your cheeks, lips and tongue need a few weeks to learn to hold a denture in place. This is especially true of a lower complete denture, which has little surface to grip and a tongue constantly pushing against it.
- Healing after extractions: an immediate denture placed on the day teeth were removed will loosen as the gums shrink during healing. This is expected and is fixed with a reline (a new fitting layer added to the inside).
- Dry mouth: saliva helps create the seal that holds an upper denture. Many medicines for blood pressure, depression or allergies reduce saliva, and so does ageing. See our page on dry mouth.
- Weight loss or illness: significant weight loss can change the soft tissues and the fit.
- Worn or damaged denture: artificial teeth wear flat over the years, so the bite becomes uneven and tips the denture. A warped or cracked base fits poorly too.
- Partial denture clasps: clasps can loosen, or the tooth they hold may have become loose or decayed.
- A design or fit problem: if a denture has never been stable, the impressions or the bite may not have been recorded correctly.
What your dentist can do
- Adjust the bite: sometimes a denture slips because it is being knocked by uneven contacts. Balancing the bite can improve stability noticeably.
- Reline: new material is added to the fitting surface to match your gums as they are today. This is often the simplest fix for an otherwise good denture.
- Rebase or remake: if the teeth are worn or the base is old and stained, a new denture may make more sense than repeated relines.
- Tighten or repair clasps on a partial denture, and treat the teeth that support it.
- Implant support: for a lower denture that has never been stable, two implants can anchor it so it snaps into place. Ask about this on our dental implants questions hub.
About denture adhesive
A small amount of adhesive used on a well-fitting denture can add confidence, and that is fine. But if you need more and more adhesive every month, it is a sign that the fit has changed. Thick layers of adhesive can hide sore spots, trap germs and let the denture rock on the gums, which speeds up bone loss. Never use household glue.
Why not to ignore a loose denture
A denture that moves constantly rubs the gums, causing ulcers and sometimes soft, flabby folds of tissue that make a good fit even harder later. It also makes chewing difficult, so many people quietly switch to softer, less nutritious food. Any ulcer that does not heal within two weeks should be checked.
Our page on loose dentures has more detail, and our dentures treatment page explains relining and replacement options.
