What are dentures?
Dentures are removable, artificial teeth created for patients who suffered multiple or total tooth loss due to disease, trauma, or decay, they are created based on your actual teeth and facial structure. When people think of dentures, they think of complete dentures, which are full replacements for all of your teeth. This can be a full set of either upper or lower teeth, or a combined set for your entire mouth.
What are the benefits of dentures?
Replacing missing or decaying teeth with dentures:
- Improves the appearance of your smile, fills out your face and gives you confidence.
- Helps you look younger by preventing facial muscles from sagging.
- Allows you to eat and speak normally.
Poor-fitting dentures may cause chronic irritation, contributing to mouth sores and changes in the bone or gum tissues, it is critical to have a highly skilled dentist like Dr. Jeff Weaver provide you with maximum comfort by fitting your dentures correctly.
How long will dentures last?
Dentures are very durable and can last 5 to 10 years or longer given proper care, but like real teeth, they can discolor, chip, break, and bend out of shape.
Follow these tips for maintaining the appearance and extending the life of your dentures:
- Store dentures in a denture-cleaning solution or water.
- Soak in warm water, hot water could damage their shape.
- Use a denture specific brush and cleaner to clean your dentures .
- Use an effervescent cleansing tablet weekly to kill odor-causing bacteria.
- Visit our office annually to evaluate fit, appearance, and for an oral cancer screening.
Denture adhesive
You should not need to use denture adhesive if the dentures fit properly. However, you can use adhesive for a short period of time if your jawbone has shrunk, your dentures have become loose, or just while you wait for your replacement dentures.
Alternatives to dentures
Dentures are a practical solution for the replacement for missing teeth, but, there are alternatives that can be used in certain cases, learn more about dental crowns and bridges or dental implants.