How Dentures Work
Your smile may no longer be what it once was. It might be due to poor oral hygiene, gum disease, the process of aging, but maybe your teeth may have begun to fall out on your own? Or maybe they need to be pulled out by a dentist. For a majority of people, losing their teeth is a major fear. This does not have to be the case with modern dentistry. Modern dentures allow patients to regain the natural appearance of their teeth—allowing them to smile confidently without feeling self-conscious.
What Are Dentures?
Dentures (Available in Lone Tree, CO and Baer Dental) are teeth replacement prosthetics that are used for the replacement of most or all of a patient’s teeth. These prosthetics are very customizable, and can very closely mimic the patient’s original teeth.
What Are the Benefits?
Dentures offer a variety of benefits. One of the most obvious is the cosmetic benefit. Patients with dentures can continue to laugh, smile and speak without feeling self-conscious. This helps to boost confidence, and remove any fear about social interactions. Dentures are also extremely helpful when it comes to biting and chewing. While biting and chewing may not be exactly the same as with natural teeth, well made dentures still allow a patient to continue to eat many of the foods that they enjoy. Dentures can help to maintain the muscles in the face—keeping them from sagging.
How Do They Work?
How your dentures work will depend on the type that your dentist decides are right for you. Conventional full dentures are what people commonly think of when they picture dentures. These prosthetics are placed after the gums are healed (if any teeth were pulled), and are held in place with the gums.
Immediate full dentures don’t require any healing period, and can be placed immediately after the teeth are pulled. While these are an excellent alternative, they will require an additional trip to the dentist for alignment a few months down the road.
Finally, there are partial dentures. These are attached to healthy teeth via a metal framework. Partial dentures allow a patient to maintain a good portion of their healthy teeth, instead of having them all extracted and replaced.
Are They Permanent?
While dentures are made to last, they will not last forever. Like a pair of shoes, they will wear out over time. The length of time they will last depends on a number of factors like how often they are worn, they types of foods you eat, how well you clean them and how well they are made.
Over time, the mouth of a patient will begin to change. Taking proper care of the prosthetics, there is a chance of improving their longevity, but they will still likely need to be replaced as you continue to age.
Speak with Your Dentist
If you have a significant amount of your teeth missing, or if you need to have your teeth pulled, speak with your dentist about what replacement options are available to you, and which will best suit your needs. If they decide on dentures, speak with your dentist about the process, and about which type are right for you.
More Information on Dentures : Here's some info on how much dentures cost