Dentures are a replacement for missing teeth. They can be taken out and put back into your mouth. While dentures take some getting used to, and will never feel exactly the same as one’s natural teeth, today’s dentures are very natural looking.
At Gould Family and Sports Dentistry, we offer complete dentures and partial dentures. A complete denture is one that replaces all of the teeth in the upper or lower arch. A partial denture only replaces the teeth that are missing and uses clasps on several remaining teeth to help hold it in place while speaking and eating.
The fit, comfort and stability of a denture is related to many things. Some of these factors include:
Patient expectations is the most difficult aspect. Our team will take considerable time educating our first time denture patients that a denture is NOT real teeth. A denture is not anchored in bone like teeth, it moves when you chew, and there will be foods you have difficulty eating or can no longer eat. In addition, the amount of bite force you can generate with a conventional denture is up to 70% less than with natural teeth. This occurs because your gum tissue is between bone and the denture acrylic. A patient who is having difficulty with a denture often thinks there is a problem with the denture itself. It is common to hear that a relative or friend who also has a denture “can eat anything they want”. Everyone is different.
Today’s dental technology allows us to overcome many of the difficulties by supporting and retaining a denture or partial denture with dental implants. Dental implants give you back the stability and retention that natural teeth provide. An implant supported overdenture allows you to have the confidence to laugh and talk without the fear of your denture coming loose. No longer is your denture sliding around while you eat the foods you enjoy. In addition, the need for pastes and powders are no longer necessary.