While friends and relatives are great for sharing information – and many of those experiences are useful – when it comes to denture facts, a denturist is your best resource.
While friends and relatives are great for sharing information – and many of those experiences are useful – when it comes to denture facts, your denturist is really the best resource.
Over the years, I’ve collected a number of questions that keep coming up during patient consultations. These five, aren’t the most important, or my favourite, they are the ones that just keep coming back!
FACT: Dentures AREN’T ‘just as good’ as teeth.
There’s no replacement for having your own teeth. As other parts of the body, they have been perfectly designed to work together to perform a number of functions from chewing to speaking to smiling, say nothing of protecting your gums. Having your own teeth is ultimately the best solution.
But for various reasons, it doesn’t always work out and people need dentures. Today’s acrylic materials are very sophisticated and modern denture practices work towards having a set of dentures that work almost to perfection and look both attractive and natural.
These aren’t your grandpa’s dentures.
There is the option to bypass dentures altogether and opt for dental-Implant supported dentures which are really as close to having natural teeth as you can get.
FACT: Everybody DOESN’T know you’re wearing dentures.
It’s pretty safe to assume that when friends or strangers are looking at you, they are admiring your sweater, hair or your endearing smile.
Some of the signs of ‘denture wearing’ such as the clicking sound when speaking, unpleasant odours or stains, are generally a result of a poor fit or lack of proper denture care. And that’s easy enough to fix.
Once you start seeing the results of having your health and smile restored, you’ll not only regain your confidence about wearing dentures but forget you're wearing them altogether.
FACT: Dentures DON’T last forever
Dentures have a life span of about 6-7 years. That’s in part due to the changes in your gums, which could be receding and the deterioration of the underlying both. Either way, both can cause problems with the suction in your dentures. These changes also affect your chewing capabilities and then your overall health.
While dentures are fabricated from durable materials, they can break or warp when placed in hot water. And even with the most conscientious care, teeth get stained and lose their natural appearance. Using a regular toothbrush and toothpaste will also prematurely wear out your dentures.
FACT: Both your dentist and denturist want to see you yearly.
Dentists really have a bad rap, and it’s unfortunate. It’s a good idea to see your dentist annually for an oral examination. Mouth tissue can reveal signs of diseases such as diabetes and oral cancer. Your dentist will also examine your gum ridges, tongue and jaw joints.
And it’s important to have your denturist check you out as well. Changes in dentures can be so subtle and often remain unnoticed by denture wearer.
FACT: Denture repairs should be done by denturists.
Even if you are handy, don’t get enticed by DIY denture repair kits. Dentures are designed to balance delicately between the jaws and the gums. If you start adjusting your own dentures you could interfere with your chewing or speaking abilities or worse create irreparable damage to the denture or worse, your jawbone.
At our clinic, we have a denture lab onsite and work hard to repair your denture as quickly as we can, while you’re in the office.
We understand no one wants to go without their dentures.