Dentures have long been a lifeline for patients who’ve experienced severe or total tooth loss (also known as edentulism). Today, modern dentures are designed to provide the most comprehensive and lifelike results, rebuilding patients’ smiles, restoring their bite function, and reestablishing their confidence in a beautiful, youthful smile. If you’ve lost several or all of your teeth, then learn more about how a custom-made denture can help you regain your oral health and overall quality of life.
1. Can a denture accommodate the teeth I have left?
Conventional dentures are typically crafted as an entire row of replacement teeth situated on a comfortable, gum-colored plastic base. However, modern partial dentures can also be crafted for patients who still possess healthy, functional teeth on their upper and/or lower dental ridges. A partial denture rebuilds your smile while allowing you to preserve the healthy tooth structure that you still retain.
2. Will I have to change my eating and hygiene habits?
Replacing your lost teeth improves your ability to process a wider variety of foods, which helps improve your overall health by allowing you to consume an adequate amount of necessary nutrients. Caring for dentures is also relatively simple, though the specifics of care and maintenance will depend on your specific needs and type of denture(s).
3. Will I need to wear denture adhesive?
Dentures are custom-designed to fit snugly, but comfortably, on your dental ridge. Lower dentures stay in place by grasping the ridge, though upper dentures may sometimes require additional support with a dental adhesive. However, many patients qualify for implant-supported dentures, or All-On-4® dentures, that rest on a series of implanted prosthetic teeth roots. The implant posts act as anchors that hold your denture in place as securely as roots supporting healthy, natural teeth.
