Children's Sports and Dental Injuries

Children's Sports and Dental Injuries

Do Your Dentures Irritate the Underside of Your Tongue?

by Lillian Dixon

Have you ever had a piece of food stuck to the underside of your tongue? This can feel extremely annoying, even when the piece of food in question is soft and small. Imagine having the constant feeling that something is prodding at the underside of your tongue. This annoyance can be fairly common if you wear dentures, but it's not something that you should have to live with. It can result in a tongue that feels sore and tired, and it might have something to do with how well your lower dentures fit. So how can your dentures cause irritation to the underside of your tongue? And what's the best way to deal with it?

Flange and Frenulum

Constant irritation to the underside of your tongue while wearing dentures is probably caused by the length of the denture flange. The flange is simply the rear edge of the denture base. Its length would have been carefully determined before the dentures were constructed, but it's still possible that they have been made with a base that is too long. This can result in the denture flange rubbing against the frenulum of your tongue. The frenulum is the soft tissue that resembles a fold which extends from the base of your mouth to the underside of your tongue. It's very sensitive and so can easily be irritated. The constant rubbing of the denture flange against your frenulum can certainly be a cause of a sore or irritated tongue when you wear your dentures. But what can be done about this annoyance?

Length of the Flange

The base of your dentures might simply extend too far towards your frenulum, and even the smallest fraction can make the difference. If your dentures are new, then you should consult the dentist or denture clinic who constructed them. If you have had your dentures for some time and have only recently noticed this irritation under your tongue, then just visit a denture repair centre.

  • Immediate irritation of your frenulum in the days and weeks after receiving new dentures means that the flange was made too long.
  • A slow onset of an irritated frenulum (when you've already had your dentures for quite some time) can be caused by gum recession, wherein the shape of your gums has changed slightly.

In both instances, a tiny amount of the denture flange will need to be shaved off. This will stop it from coming into contact with your frenulum, thus ending the irritation. When you've already been wearing your dentures for a while and the contact is partially caused by gum recession, then the dentures might also need to be relined. This is when an additional layer of acrylic resin is added to the base of the dentures for a better fit that reflects the changing shape of your gums.

Some irritation around the underside of your tongue can be rather common when you wear dentures, but it's easy enough to remedy.


Share

About Me

Children's Sports and Dental Injuries

As a mum, I know how essential sport can be to children's development. Through team sports like soccer, kids learn persistence, sportsmanship and the value of supporting their team members. However, all that learning carries some risk as well, and a stray elbow or a ball to the face can result in oral injuries. I have been the mum rushing to the emergency room with a precious permanent tooth sitting in a cup of milk. Admittedly, at the time, I wasn't even sure if the cup of milk was the right solution. As a parent, you will face those situations, and I'm here to make sure you know what to do when they pop up. With this blog, let's explore children's dentistry and sports injuries together... I want you to have the info you need to stay cool, calm and collected, regardless of how many teeth are on the pitch.