Dentures and Too Much Saliva: Why Are These Two Things Linked?

Have you ever seen or smelled some delicious food that you were about to devour, and your mouth has literally watered? No, you haven't. You might have seen or smelled some delicious food that you were about to devour, and your salivary glands then began to produce copious amounts of saliva, but this doesn't quite sound as nice, does it? On average, humans produce anywhere between one and two litres of saliva per day. Those who produce less saliva than is usual might experience a feeling of dryness in their mouth, which can generally be temporarily reversed by drinking some water. But what about at the other end of that spectrum? People who produce excessive amounts of saliva might need to be continually needing to swallow, and can even inadvertently drool. Excessive saliva production can be common when you start wearing dentures, but why is this the case? Is it a permanent side-effect of dentures, or is it something that will go away of its own accord?

Your Salivary Glands

Humans have three primary saliva production glands that distribute saliva into their mouths, and these are known as the sublingual, submandibular and parotid glands. In addition to these three major sources, you have anywhere between 800 and 1000 minor salivary glands distributed throughout your mouth. So, this is where your one to two litres of daily saliva production come from, but what is it about full or even partial dentures that can cause these glands to work overtime?

Getting Used to a Foreign Object

At first, your body registers your dentures as a foreign object. While this is accurate, you will quickly become used to the sensation of holding the dentures in your mouth, making them feel like a regular (although prosthetic) part of your body. When you hold a piece of food in your mouth, your salivary glands are generally stimulated and will subsequently release additional saliva. With dentures, these glands are working as though you are permanently holding a piece of food in your mouth, but as you acclimatise to the feeling of your dentures, the output of your salivary glands should return to normal levels. But what about when they continue to produce an excessive amount of saliva?

Your Dentures and Saliva Production

When excessive saliva becomes an ongoing problem, your dentures might be the culprit. The height and width of your dentures might cause them to directly stimulate your salivary glands (by quite literally pushing against these glands). This can also affect your bite pattern, as in there is uneven weight distribution across your jaw, essentially tricking your mouth into thinking that it's chewing food (and causing it to respond by producing saliva). So, if your saliva levels remain high once you've received your dentures, schedule an appointment with your dentist. Your dentures might need to be reshaped to prevent this problem, while still retaining a snug fit.

A bit of extra saliva is to be expected with new dentures, but it should not be an ongoing issue. For more information on partial dentures, contact your local dental office. 

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