Your dental health directly impacts your overall health. Having your natural teeth removed to prevent more major health issues can be a hard decision, but often turns out to be the best course of action. Most dental patients who have had multiple extractions will choose to get dentures to protect not just their health, but their smiles, speech, and ability to properly chew their food. The problem is that finding affordable dentures isn’t always easy.
If you've recently lost your teeth and received an immediate denture, it's normal to find some tissue shrinkage and bone loss occurring. Therefore, in several months you may find that your immediate dentures no longer fit well. You will have two choices at this point: You can have your immediate (temporary) dentures re-lined. This means that material is added under the denture's base to better conform to the new contours of your alveolar ridge. A better option is to move to a set of conventional full dentures, which will last longer and fit better. With proper care, dentures offer a functional, aesthetic and economical solution to the problem of tooth loss.
Dentures do not function like natural teeth. It takes time to learn how to properly use dentures. Food must be cut up into small pieces and be placed on the back teeth on both sides to balance chewing. Denture chewing occurs up and down bilaterally, not on one side. One sided chewing will cause the dentures to dislodge. Biting with the front denture teeth will cause the back of the dentures to dislodge. Dentures only function properly when force is applied evenly over the entire chewing surface of the back teeth.
Patients can become entirely edentulous (without teeth) for many reasons, the most prevalent being removal due to dental disease typically relating to oral flora control, i.e., periodontal disease and tooth decay. Other reasons include pregnancy, tooth developmental defects caused by severe malnutrition, genetic defects such as dentinogenesis imperfecta, trauma, or drug use.
Dentures not only improve the appearance of a smile that has multiple missing teeth, but they also keep the structure of the mouth sound by supporting the structures around the cheeks and lips. Dentures also make it possible to eat foods that require chewing, making it possible to keep your diet the same and ensure that you are properly nourished. Lastly, dentures are a viable solution to replace teeth that are causing serious pain and oral health issues, such as those with rotted roots or severe damage. Having dentures fitted means that troublesome teeth are eliminated and replaced with a strong and beautiful alternative.
This type of denture is made to be placed in the mouth immediately after you have all your natural teeth extracted. This allows you to leave the office without the embarrassment of having no teeth while the gums heal from the extraction. The denture is made to conform to your mouth at the moment impressions were taken. Your gums will change drastically over the next few months and it is possible that the dentures will rub against the gums causing some soreness until the denture is adjusted. Most patients will require a realignment of their denture within the first few months due to the gums shrinking from the extraction of teeth. Another benefit of immediate dentures is the fact that the dentures act as a bandage to the extraction sites which covers the tooth sockets and prevents them from becoming irritated. Just remember, never remove the denture yourself, even for a brief moment unless your dentist has instructed you to. The gums have a tendency to swell when uncovered at first; and if you are without your dentures for a little while, they may never go back in.
Always remove your dentures before sleeping to avoid damaging them, dislodging them, and to give your gums some time to relax. Submerge your dentures fully in warm, but not hot, water to keep them from drying out and becoming misshapen. Only use denture soaking solution if your dentures do not have metal components as the solution can tarnish the metal.
An overdenture is a removable dental prosthesis that covers and rests on one or more remaining tooth roots. A removable partial denture is a dental prosthesis that replaces some teeth and is built around existing natural teeth. Both the overdenture and the removable partial denture may be connected to the remaining tooth roots or remaining natural teeth with anchors made of metal or plastic. These connections improve stability and the retention of both prostheses.