New to Dentures?

New To Dentures?

Dentures are removeable artificial teeth and gums made by a dental health professional that are designed to replace a person’s lost or removed natural teeth. Dentures are custom-made specifically for each patient, as no two mouths are exactly same. Dentures can be made for a patient’s upper gum (the maxilla) or for the lower gum (the mandible) or both. Depending on what a patient’s oral situation is, they may require either a partial denture or a complete denture.

Different Types of Dentures

Dentures generally fall into the category of partial or complete.

• Partial denture – This denture is made when the patient still has some natural teeth remaining. This denture replaces the desired teeth that are missing and has clasps that grab on to the adjacent natural teeth to hold itself into place. It is designed to match the patient’s natural teeth as much as possible and is designed to be removeable to clean and while sleeping. They are not permanently fastened. A partial denture can be made for the upper or lower as required.
• Complete denture – This denture is made when the patient has no natural teeth remaining on the upper gum, lower gum, or both. Also known as a ‘full’ denture, this denture is made to replace all of the missing teeth and stays in place with suction and/or the use of denture adhesives if necessary. They are designed to be removable to clean and while sleeping.

Partial dentures and complete dentures can also be immediate or overdentures.

• Immediate denture- This denture is made before the patient’s teeth are extracted and are inserted at the appointment of the extractions. Conventional dentures are made after the patient’s gums have healed.
• Overdenture –This denture is made to go over a patient’s natural roots or when a patient has dental implants. In the case if dental implants, the denture snaps on to them which allows the denture to stay securely in place.

Benefits of Wearing Dentures

The two main benefits of dentures are to restore function and aesthetics of the mouth.

By replacing the missing teeth, dentures restore the function of the mouth and generally make it possible to eat foods that require chewing and thus make it possible to keep a diet the same and maintain proper nourishment. It will also allow for speech to improve by providing the necessary structures of the mouth that are required to produce the proper flow of air when making specific sounds of speech.

Dentures not only restore aesthetics by replacing missing teeth but also by supporting the structures of the lips and cheeks thus providing a more natural appearance as opposed to a “sunken in” appearance when the support is not there.

It may go without saying that dentures enhance a person’s appearance and quality of life. They give people the ability to eat, speak, and smile with confidence.

Signs and Symptoms of Problems

There are a number of problems that denture wearers can potentially experience at some point. Changes occur in the mouth over time and dentures will exhibit signs of wear and tear. Denture wearers should consult a denturist if they experience any of the following:

• Pain, bleeding or irritation – Soreness can be relatively sudden or creep up over time. It is usually a result of the denture no longer fitting as well as it used to. This can occur because the gums tend to shrink over time in the areas where there are no longer any natural teeth. As this occurs, the denture moves around more and rubs or digs into the gum causing pain. Sometimes if the denture is damaged and still worn, the damaged area can irritate the part of the mouth it is in contact with and cause pain.
• Looseness – The gums shrink over time when a person has missing natural teeth. When this happens, a denture wearer will notice the denture moving around more. Generally, as more time passes, the more shrinkage the gum will experience and the more loose the denture will get. The denture wearer may or may not experience pain. Also, if there has been a significant weight loss, the gums tend to shrink as well and will be accompanied by looseness of the persons dentures.
• Damage to dentures – Dentures can break both when being worn or when dropped. They can break into two or more pieces, have small or large chips, and the denture teeth can break. Depending on the circumstances and nature of the damage, they may or may not be able to be repaired.
• Worn out denture teeth –Over time dentures will experience wear and tear. The edges and cusps of the denture teeth will flatten out over time. As a result, the denture wearer may notice that they have difficulty chewing their food and that the appearance of their front teeth aren’t as appealing.
• Difficulty eating or speaking – This is usually a result of change that has occurred in the mouth and to the dentures. As the gums shrink over time, the dentures loosen and the teeth wear out, eating can become more challenging. If the dentures are not fitting well, the movement of the mouth and the flow of air during speech further dislodges them and many denture wearers will experience difficulty speaking.
• Too much dependence on denture adhesives –It is not unusual for someone who wears dentures to require or prefer the use of denture adhesives. However, if the denture wearer needs to apply denture adhesives when they once could function comfortably without them, or if they find themselves applying a lot more than the used to in an effort to hold them in place, then this is a sign that the dentures have become more loose and need to be checked by a denturist.
• Stains or buildup –This can occur over time without proper cleaning and maintenance.

Denture Care

Dentures require proper care and maintenance to maximize their useable life and contribute to good oral health. Even if they are cared for and maintained properly, over time they may need to be adjusted or replaced as the mouth changes. They should be checked at least once every year by a denturist and, on average, replaced every 5-7 years.

• Brush dentures after each meal under running water to remove food debris using a denture brush and denture paste or mild soap. Fill the sink with water beforehand to prevent breakage if the denture is accidentally dropped. Do not use toothpaste as they are too abrasive and will damage the dentures.
• Remove dentures overnight and soak them in water and a denture cleaning solution to prevent them from drying out and possibly warping. This will give your gums a chance to rest.
• In the morning or after any soaking, rinse the denture in warm water before putting them back in the mouth.
• Brush and floss the remaining natural teeth twice per day and see the dentist every 6 months or as directed. This not only allows for the proper care of remaining natural teeth but allows the partial denture to continue to work harmoniously with those teeth for optimal function.
• Do not repair or adjust the denture yourself. This could cause further damage and increase the cost of a repair or require replacement.
• Do not wrap dentures in tissue as they may be mistaken for trash and be thrown out accidentally.