Learning More About Dentures To Know If They Are Right For You
What are dentures?
Dentures are simply a prosthesis that replaces someone's teeth. Whether they're made of acrylic, metals, or zirconia, it's a system that replaces teeth if you have to lose them. Dentures are artificial replacements for someone who is missing most or all of their teeth.
What type of dental professional could give me dentures?
Every dentist is trained in delivering or fabricating simple dentures. Depending on the complexity of your case, you may want to seek out someone with more specialty, especially in dental implants or full-mouth rehabilitation. However, most general dentists can produce a denture.
When would a dentist recommend a patient get dentures?
Dentures are really the last resort for most patients. Patients who qualify for needing a denture are those who have had uncontrolled disease of the periodontium, many loose teeth, painful teeth, losing bone infection, or uncontrolled cavities that have caused their teeth to crumble or give them a terrible appearance. For most of these patients, it's uncomfortable to eat, smile, and they don't want to eat or do anything in public.
What are alternative treatments to dentures?
Alternative treatments to dentures include options like living with pain and discomfort, doing nothing, getting all of your teeth removed and having no teeth replacement, utilizing some of your existing healthy teeth to support a different type of denture, or getting implants which could go into your bone and allow the denture to screw or click in.
What are the types of dentures?
There are four types of dentures:
- There's a tissue-supported complete denture, which is a plastic plate that sits on top of your gums.
- You also have a tooth-supported assisted denture, which utilizes one or two still healthy teeth with clasps that the denture clicks around.
- Then there are implant-supported dentures, which include two categories:
- A removable type where you click in and out on top of the denture called a locator.
- A permanent fixed solution where we screw the denture into the implants themselves.
How do dentures compare to natural teeth?
Complete tissue-supported dentures compared to natural teeth are only about 20% the same function. Most patients in pain with crumbly teeth still have a function of about 50% of natural teeth. If you're losing all your teeth and switching to something that just sits on your tissue, your quality of life and chewing ability will decrease dramatically, even though you don't have any pain.
How are dentures made?
Dentures are made by taking impressions, whether digital or physical. In our office, we take everything digitally, and then once we have those impressions, we design teeth on a CAD program digitally. We can either print those dentures or make them via acrylic, metal, or zirconia.
A complete denture is typically made of acrylic, while an implant-assisted denture is typically made of metal, acrylic, or zirconia.
Is the process of getting dentures painful?
Getting dentures shouldn't be painful. However, if surgery is required in conjunction with getting the dentures, you will be sore from the actual surgical procedure. If you're already missing your teeth and no surgeries are involved, there is no need for anesthetics or anything because there shouldn't be pain with getting dentures.
However, tissue-supported dentures rely on tissue for support. When you chew, you're going to have mismatched forces, causing the dentures to move and rub. That can cause sores, ulcers, or even make the denture fall out. Use of adhesive can help with stability, but in general, a complete tissue-supported denture will rock around and be slightly uncomfortable even with chewing.
What anesthesia options will be available during the denture procedure?
There are options for anesthesia when it comes to getting dentures. If you are getting surgery, we can do a local anesthetic or even oral sedation to help with that part of the procedure. However, the actual making of a denture doesn't really require any anesthesia.
Is it more difficult to speak and eat with dentures?
Speaking and eating with conventional tissue-supported dentures can be difficult, especially if you're transitioning from having teeth to losing them all. When you have your real teeth, you have proprioception, which provides spatial awareness when chewing and talking.
When you switch to a tissue-supported denture, you lose that spatial awareness, making it difficult to learn how to talk, chew, and speak. It can be uncomfortable for the first few months. Some patients use adhesive to help, but ultimately the best option if you lose teeth is to get implants to support the denture and prevent it from rubbing or rocking.
I often suggest patients new to dentures practice in front of a mirror, gently closing to relearn muscle memory of where their teeth should be.
What is required to care for your dentures?
Caring for removable dentures is fairly easy. They typically unclick, and you can rinse them with soapy water and a light brush. Avoid using toothpastes because they contain abrasives that could reduce the strength of the acrylic long term.
How long do dentures usually last?
Complete removable dentures typically last about five years. Since they are tissue-supported, they cause the bone and gums to shrink over time. The only reason we have bone and gums in our mouth is to support teeth. Once we lose those teeth and rely on just tissue, the complete denture is supported by that.
Over time, the bone will continue to shrink and disappear. As the bone and tissue shrink, the denture will have less support and you'll experience more wobble. You can reline the denture or use adhesive to help with stability. Ultimately, the best approach is to preserve the bone, and the best way to do that is with implants.
For some patients, implant dentures can be expensive, so they may start with a regular denture. As long as there is enough bone, the denture can later be converted into an implant denture to help with finances.
How long does it take to get used to dentures?
Getting used to dentures varies for everyone. If you were already missing all of your teeth and now have pieces of plastic in your mouth, it can feel awkward. The best thing to do is practice in front of a mirror, closing your mouth and talking. A significant challenge is that when chewing, the forces are never the same on both sides, leading to wobbling and rubbing. A complete denture can be challenging to get used to, and you may not be able to eat the same foods you used to. In these cases, I recommend getting a dental implant to help with retention.
How much do dentures cost?
Complete dentures without implants typically cost about $2,000, not including any surgeries needed if teeth are being removed.
Who is a good candidate for dentures?
Good candidates for dentures are those with uncontrolled periodontal disease, painful teeth, or constantly crumbling teeth. If you're frequently visiting the dentist due to infections or need for root canals, and it becomes too expensive to maintain your dental health with little quality of life, you might consider complete dentures or implant-supported dentures.
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