What Will My Dentures Look and Feel Like?
A good question I get is: what will my dentures look and feel like?
Our goal, and what we strive to do, is to make your dentures look natural. Some people may want that big Hollywood smile, and if that’s what you’re looking for, we will make that happen. But, we also want your dentures to feel natural. Our aim is for them to become a part of your mouth.
It is important to note that dentures are a foreign object in your mouth, and it will take some time to get used to them. With the implant solution, however, you’ll have a bit more confidence knowing that your denture will stay in place, allowing you to smile and feel like your natural self.
How Do I Care for My Dentures?
Another question I often get is: how do I care for my dentures?
Specifically, with a removable full denture, you’re going to want to clean it every night, and sometimes after meals, because food can get stuck underneath it.
When cleaning your dentures, I recommend using a soft denture toothbrush. If you use a regular toothbrush with hard bristles, you can wear away the acrylic on the denture pretty quickly.
Another important thing is the type of toothpaste you use. You should avoid regular toothpaste because it contains abrasives, which can wear down your denture very fast. Instead, use a denture paste that is non-abrasive.
There are also tablets you can dissolve in water to clean your dentures. I recommend using these at least once a week. You don’t need to use them every night, but they help restore the denture’s luster and give it a fresher taste.
How Long Will My Dentures Last?
Another great question I get is: how long will my dentures last?
It’s variable, just like anything else. Generally, the average lifespan of a denture is about five years. The teeth on the denture will wear out, just like parts of a car wear out over time. If you’re hard on your denture, it will wear out quicker. However, if you take good care of it, you might be able to get six or seven years out of it.
The longevity of your denture will also depend on the style and quality of the materials used. High-end dentures, which use stronger teeth, tend to last longer than economy dentures, where the teeth are made with slightly lower-quality materials. With an economy denture, you may only get three to four years of use.
What Are the Different Types of Dentures?
So, another question I get is: what kind of dentures are there?
There are two main categories: partial dentures and complete dentures.
If you only have a few teeth missing, you can get what’s called a removable partial denture. This type of denture usually has some metal and plastic. The metal sits on your teeth and has little hooks or clasps that help keep it in place. When you insert it, it helps stabilize your teeth. Generally, there’s a piece of metal that goes across the top of your mouth, which is usually not very comfortable.
A complete denture, on the other hand, is for when there are no teeth left to support your denture. In this case, all teeth are removed, and the denture sits solely on your soft tissue. This can be a little uncomfortable because soft tissue is flexible and moves—it’s not fixed like your teeth. When you chew, all the pressure is directed into your gums.
With a partial denture, when you chew, your remaining teeth help absorb some of the forces, which can make it a bit more comfortable compared to a complete denture.
How Are Dentures Made?
Another question I get is: how are dentures made?
Generally, we start by taking an impression of your mouth. Then, we use those records to construct what we call a wax try-in. These are teeth set in wax that are designed to fit your mouth in terms of size, color, and function.
Next, we schedule an appointment where we try these teeth in to ensure they match your mouth and that you feel comfortable with them. This includes smiling and speaking, which is probably one of the most important things we sometimes forget about when making a denture.
Once we're happy with the process and you approve how the teeth look and feel in your mouth, we move on to the next step. This involves converting the wax into acrylic. If you've ever seen how gold rings are made, there's a similar process: a mold is created, the wax is melted out, and it's replaced with gold. With dentures, we follow the same concept, except the wax is replaced with acrylic instead of gold.
When to Consider Dentures?
So here's a really good question, is when should I get dentures? Some people make the mistake of waiting until they lose all their teeth before they get their dentures. And by that time, it makes it a lot more difficult. When you lose your teeth, you kind of lose the reference of the shape and size of your mouth. You you ever seen someone without teeth and it looks like their chin is almost touching their nose? We don't want, we want to avoid that. So we want to get into the denture process sooner than that.
Usually you start to lose teeth. Most of your teeth are getting loose. You're having pain. You're having trouble chewing. Probably at that point is the time to start thinking about going into a denture.