Different types of dentures and their benefits?
Dentures or false teeth are removable and custom made replacements which help to restore your smile. They are supported by surrounding hard and soft tissues and help to bring a natural look to the teeth. People who loose teeth would find their facial muscles sagging, when dentures are used it helps to restore the former appearance of the face.
There has been lot of advancement in technology and this has reflected in new and improved ways in which dentures are produced. During earlier times, we would know at a glance if a person is using dentures or not – as they used to have an unnatural look to them. But today’s dentures are as natural looking as your own teeth and is quite difficult to find out if a person is using dentures or not.
People lose teeth for many reasons. The most commonly seen reason for losing teeth is because of teeth decay. When this happens, the dentist suggest using dentures after removing the teeth as they can lead to more harm, the decayed teeth can lead to damage and inflammation in the gums causing further worry to the patient.
Some other reasons which are seen are defects in teeth development because of malnutrition, drug use, trauma etc.
What are dentures? How are they made?
Dentures are prosthetics that can be used when a person loses teeth. The dentures are made by dentists and require special expertise. It takes few weeks for the dentures to be made. Usually this is done after the dentist conducts a dental examination to understand the health of the oral region. They would conduct series of tests to find out which type of dentures are helpful and suitable for the patient.
Dentists would take impressions of the jaw and also take measurements of the jaw to make sure that the dentures are a good fit for the user. Standard materials are used for taking impressions. First a very basic impression is taken, this is to get the impression of the jaws, and later the details are taken for creating a proper replica of the jaws. Importance is also given to how the arrangement of teeth is, all this helps make sure that a perfect fit is made for the patient.
As you can see that this is a very detailed and complicated process and hence it would take some time before the dentures are available. You can check with your dentist about the different options that are available for you, when waiting for the dentures to be ready. Your dentist can advise you on the type of dentures that suit your specific needs, their cost, and if you need to replace all or just some of your teeth.
Advantages of dentures
Dentures would take time getting used to, they might feel odd during the initial period when you are using them. It is also natural if you feel some irritation when you first wear them. Many have experienced increased flow of saliva after they started wearing dentures. If you are worried about some of the symptoms that have developed since you started wearing dentures, it is best to consult with your dentist.
Even considering the temporary inconvenience, dentures bring in great benefits to the patients:
- Help in chewing food, people can continue to enjoy their favourite food as they have a new set of teeth.
- Help in correct pronunciation, losing teeth can lead to people finding it difficult to pronounce certain words.
- Help in restoring the former shape of the face.
- Help in providing support to the facial muscles.
- Help in restoring confidence in people by bringing back their smile and improved looks.
Dentures: Different types
Dentures serve different purposes for different people. Some of the different denture types provided by dentists include ultimate fit denture, premium dentures etc. Which type of dentures suit you best can be suggested by dentists.
The different type of dentures commonly used are:
Conventional full dentures
Full dentures are used when all the teeth have been removed. They usually are placed after the gum tissues are healed and might take up to 2 months or more depending on how fast these tissues heal. These dentures maybe used for upper jaw, lower jaw or both jaws.
Immediate full dentures
In this also the dentures replace the complete teeth. Unlike the former they are placed immediately after teeth are removed. Dentists make dentures during prior visits. The advantage of this denture over the conventional full denture is that one is not without teeth. As the gums heal, the dentures will require more adjustment.
In this type of dentures, replaced teeth are fixed on a base similar in colour to gums. In this one or more permanent teeth remain, these dentures help to maintain the position of the teeth.
Making dentures last long
Dentures need to be realigned or adjusted after they are worn for a period of time. It is possible that dentures last long if they are taken care of. They need to be taken care like natural teeth.
Some of the measures that can be taken:
- Dentures should be cleaned with water to remove any food debris remaining.
- Do not use hot water to clean your dentures.
- Use a toothbrush to clean.
- When dentures are not in use, it is best to keep them in water.
- Dentures would break if they fall, so care must be taken when handling them.
- It is important that plague formation in the oral region is avoided. So it is important that gums and tongue are cleaned before dentures are placed.
- Plague formation can lead to infection in the mouth and related problems.
- Regular toothpaste should be avoiding in cleaning dentures, as they can harm dentures.
If the dentures are chipped or broken, then it is best that you don’t try to fix dentures. It is best to take them to your dentist as they can professionally repair them. Some of the dentists would suggest that dentures are worn for 24 hours day to get used to them. This helps in making the person get adjusted to wearing them and not feel they are using dentures.
Wearing it all the time, helps you to get adjusted to dentures and if needed during follow up visits, the dentures can be adjusted to fit better. Later on, they can be stored in water when one is sleeping. This will help the gums to rest as well and also help in normal stimulation of the mouth by saliva. Those who use dentures are advised not to chew gums. This is because the gums stick to the material used in the denture. The gums can also lead to discolouring of teeth and also reduce the stability of dentures.
There are also adhesives that are used for getting a proper fix of dentures. There are different types that are available in the market. Adhesives help in providing more stability when using dentures. Adhesives have been found to be useful for people who have medical conditions that lead to low levels of adherence to the dentures. Adhesives come in as pastes or in powder form. You can obtain more information on adhesives from dentists. They are generally safe to use and they provide good stability.
Your dentist will be able to provide more information about dentures and the type that would be appropriate for you.
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This post was written by Letooth