Dentures
Complete Your Smile with Modern Dentures
Dentures are no longer considered a last resort when your teeth have failed you. Modern innovations in dentistry have improved the way that dentures are made and customized to each patient. Reliable, secure, and promising to restore functionality to your entire mouth, dentures replace missing natural teeth effectively so you can operate confidently in your daily life. Your options for tooth restorations are many, including dentures.
Types of Dentures
Dental Implants Are the Permanent Alternative to Dentures
If you have lost your permanent teeth because of accident, disease, decay, gum disease, age, or otherwise, your upper or lower jaws may be completely empty. Eating is problematic, as is speaking clearly, and of course your appearance is wholly altered along with, very likely, your confidence. Dentures replace what is missing, and that can happen in a variety of ways.
There are different types of dentures that may be right for your oral health needs:
Complete dentures: For some patients, traditional dentures are the best option, whether because of your lifestyle, budget, or preference. These dentures can be removed for cleansing, but they are designed to fit snugly and comfortably along gum tissue. The element to keep in mind is that typical dentures do come with a larger piece that is fitted to your palette. What will initially feel like a foreign element and may create soreness and increased saliva flow will eventually become comfortable as your tissues and jaw muscles adjust to the denture.
Partial dentures: Removable partial dentures can be used to fill gaps in your smile if you are missing at least two teeth on both sides of the arch of your teeth. Partials can be designed with clasps so that they can be removed for brushing and cleaning every day. The goal, of course, is to prevent your remaining teeth from moving into the spaces the missing teeth created. A partial denture minimizes the need for further restorative dentistry.
Permanent dentures: A partial denture is unique in that it can be permanently put in place by being connected to dental implants or anchored by dental crowns. Both solutions are strong and reliable. Dental implants may also be an option for a full denture if your jawbone is strong enough to house the implant itself and the prosthetic teeth attached to them.
Over time, missing teeth will change the shape of your face. Your cheeks can begin to look sunken in and your jaw can become shrunken. This side effect ages a person dramatically, and it is avoidable. The structure of your face – including your jawbone – needs to be supported. Dental implants in conjunction with dentures make this support possible, counteracting a deteriorating jawbone.
Caring for Your Dentures
Modern dentures are not your grandparents’ dentures. The wearing and upkeep is far less cumbersome than it used to be. Nevertheless, these are your new “teeth” we’re talking about here – you wouldn’t go to sleep every night without brushing and flossing (right?), so attach that same belief to your dentures. They need to be cleaned nightly too.
Dr. Raquel will provide you with detailed instructions about how best to care for your modern dentures. Very likely, the recommendations will include a gentle brushing and overnight soaking in a special cleanser to remove the food, bacteria, and plaque that has built up on your dentures throughout the course of the day.
Along with at-home care, keeping up with preventive care visits ensures that your dentures are fitted properly and working as they should. Just because you’ve gotten replacement teeth for the teeth you were missing, that doesn’t mean dental care should be abandoned.
Just remember, dentures will not last forever. And you wouldn’t want them to. Your gums and tissues under the dentures will change to accommodate the mouthpiece. Eventually, it will be necessary to have them refitted or redone to continue to have the complete and functional smile you’ve long wanted.
Are Dentures the Right Restorative Dentistry Solution for You?
Dentures have come a long way in the past few decades. As a restorative dentistry solution, they can be the repair that completes your smile, improves your look, and gives you the confidence to eat and speak in good company.
Dr. Raquel creates dentures for patients of all ages. If you are missing multiple teeth and you want to complete your smile, dentures are one viable option. Learn about the restorative dentistry solutions that could potentially work for your oral health needs.
