Lower dentures can be much tougher to wear than upper ones. People are often surprised by this fact; after all, the upper dentures would seem at more risk of becoming dislodged due to the force of gravity. However, lower dentures are generally less stable, so even people used to wearing uppers can find them tricky to get used to.

Why Are Lower Dentures More Problematic Than Upper Ones?

The most important reason why lower dentures tend to present more problems than upper ones is that, while an upper denture is able to create suction against the whole palate of the upper jaw, the lower denture cannot rest completely against the lower palate because the tongue is in the way. Without a whole palate available for suction, the denture won't feel as stable.

Making this problem worse is the fact that your lower denture will interact with more movable mouth surfaces. The tongue is the most obvious example; it will move around while you eat or speak, and its movements can often cause lower dentures to come out of alignment if any instability exists. Even moving your jaw up and down can help dislodge a set of lower dentures, which often makes people wary during extended conversations.

Finally, lower dentures will tend to become less stable over time due to bone reabsorption. When there are no teeth present, your body will consider the surrounding alveolar bone useless and begin to reabsorb it; with less and less of the alveolar bone remaining, lower dentures will have less to grip to, which will make proper suction harder to achieve.

How Can You Get Used To Wearing Lower Dentures?

These issues can make wearing lower dentures even more of a challenge than wearing upper ones. Even people used to wearing the upper ones can be surprised by just how different the sensation is.

The first thing you need to do is give yourself time to adjust. Lower dentures rest on your lower gums rather than adhering straight to the palate, so they will move around a little until you've gotten used to correctly using your tongue and lips. Ideally, you want to have your tongue resting against the inside front edge to prevent instability. This will feel odd at first, but it should quickly become second nature. You'll also want to experiment with using the right amount of adhesive; this is more important with lower dentures than upper dentures.

Finally, make absolutely sure that you see your dentist on a regular basis. They will be able to monitor bone reabsorption and reline your lower dentures to ensure the best possible stability with the changing shape of your jaw.