"The Five Phases" of learning to wear a new or refitted Dental Appliance

THE FIVE PHASES

by: The Denture Pro.

Floyd Spiva Jr. CDT MDT CD

Copyrighted Material-1999

thedenturepro@aol.com

　

"The Five Phases" are the phases that every Denture Wearer is guaranteed to experience when they get "new" or "replacement" denture appliances.

However, when you get replacements, you should take less time to go through The Five Phases than a "new" denture wearer will.

Phase (1)

"The Inspection Phase"

When a new or replacement denture appliance is placed in the mouth, it touches the oral tissues and structures differently than those tissues or structures are accustomed to.

The inspection response will be that the Tongue, Cheeks and Lips will examine the object that has been placed into the mouth.

Phase (2)

"The Saliva Phase"

Because the new or replacement denture appliance touches the oral tissues differently than what the tissue recognizes, it reacts as though the appliance is something to eat and sends a signal to the brain to get the saliva flowing to aid in digestion.

The saliva will diminish as the oral structures accept the appliance as a permanent part of the oral make up. With a "new" appliance the acceptance may take a bit longer, two to three weeks.

Phase (3)

"The Adaptation Phase"

How many times have you or someone you know removed their eye glasses and you notice the imprint on both sides of the nose, the imprints left by the nose pads? Thats adaptation.

Gum tissues slowly adapt to the inside surfaces of the denture appliance. Any place that the tissue is thin over the gum bone, you are likely to have a tender spot. That spot will need to be relieved by adjusting the appliance.

Phase (4)

"The Rejection Phase"

This phase is most noticeable to new denture appliance wearers or denture replacements that are very different in shape and size from those worn before.

The oral structures that have read the denture appliance as something to eat and not accepted it as a permanent addition to the mouth, often sends the patient a signal that say’s, "Look, if your not going to eat this, get rid of it, were tired of having it around". However, that too will pass in time, usually within two to three weeks. "But", the appliances must be worn at least ten to eleven hours a day during that period of time.

Phase (5)

"The Learning Phase"

You didn’t learn to ride a bicycle perfectly the first time you tried, nor did you drive like a pro the first time you got behind the wheel. You had to learn how to operate those vehicles.

Just as with the bike and the car, you must learn how to operate and use a denture appliance. They just don’t automatically work just because they are placed between your nose and chin. The learning process depends on your dedication and determination to master them.

Do not make the classic mistake of comparing your denture appliance fit and function to someone else’s. Mouths and people are like fingerprints, no two are alike. To play the comparison game can make your personal experience a failure more often than a success.

Please Be Advised

"THE FIVE PHASES" is a copyright product of the "Denture Pro." Copying or distribution is prohibited unless written permission is granted by the author