How to Evaluate Denture Occlusion

Denture occlusion is no different from natural teeth occlusion. Occlusion refers to your bite, to how well and how accurate the teeth come together and how well the top teeth fit into the bottom teeth when you bite together. If you experience pain when you bite down or chew food, your occlusion may be off and need adjustment. You evaluate denture occlusion the same way you evaluate natural teeth occlusion, with dental occlusion paper and a mouth mirror available from your dentist or a dental supply laboratory.

Things You'll Need

• Occlusion paper
• Scissors
• Hand mirror
• Mouth mirror

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Instructions

• 1

  Cut a 2-inch piece of paper from the roll of occlusion paper.

• 2

  Place the paper into your mouth on the right side.

• 3

  Bite down on the paper, and grind your teeth back and forth.

• 4

  Remove the occlusion paper from your mouth, and set it aside.

• 5

  Look into the hand mirror, and examine your teeth for blue marks on the lower teeth. If any blue marks appear, the denture teeth will need to be adjusted to correct the occlusion problem.

• 6

  Place the mouth mirror in your mouth, and look into the hand mirror with your other hand as you move the mouth mirror to reflect the upper teeth. Check for blue marks, indicating that your bite is uneven and the denture teeth need to be properly adjusted.

• 7

  Repeat these steps for the left side of your mouth.