Dentures can be regarded as one of the most popular dental treatment procedures for replacing missing teeth. When a person has lost all their natural and healthy teeth, they typically choose dentures as their first choice of orthodontic treatment. People can lose their teeth due to a plethora of reasons, such as:
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Gum diseases or periodontal diseases -
Tooth decay or tooth rot -
Dental trauma or injury -
Teeth extraction for other reasons
To elucidate the magnitude of this widely prevalent orthodontic appliance, let us illustrate using a statistical observation:
“According to the findings provided by the American College of Prosthodontists, more than 30 million people across the globe, rely solely on dentures to restore their oral functions and appearance of their smile.”
Although there is a massive trend of employing dentures as their first choice of prosthetics-based therapy, there are still many other aspects of these artificial teeth, that people are still unaware of. Case in point, if dentures are either too big or too small, they can cause significant discomfort to your oral health.
In addition to this, improper or ill-fitting dentures can cause a whole new set of health problems as well.
Want to know more about dentures? Continue reading to find out.
Why do you need Dentures?
One of the main motivations behind the popularity of dentures is that, since these orthodontic appliances are removable and easy to maintain, they promote convenience and comfort to the average user. However, the patient must remain vigilant while selecting dentures that fit properly to the mouth.
Listed below are some of the reasons that illustrate the need for, or the purpose of dental dentures:
Gaps between your Teeth
Since there are spaces between your teeth. This can impair both aspects of your oral health: your bite and your aesthetic function.
Misalignment of Teeth
There is a risk of misalignment of the teeth since they are loose and tend to shift to empty spaces in your mouth. As a result of this misalignment, your teeth will seem misshaped or crooked.
Excessive Decay
You have entered an advanced stage of tooth decay, where a mere dental filling or dental implants cannot do the job. You may require a partial or a full denture depending on the severity of your decay.
Gum Diseases
You become vulnerable to tooth loss due to progressed gingivitis or other gum diseases. The amalgamation of these periodontal diseases has rendered your gum tissue swollen, tender, and red.
Bite Dysfunction
Since the consequence of gum diseases or tooth decay is cracked or missing teeth, you may lose your ability to exercise your bite functions properly. As a result, you might not be able to consume hard food.
Recurrent Indigestion:
To reiterate the previous point, since you will be imposed with a certain level of difficulty chewing some types of food properly, you may be forced to swallow instead. Improperly chewed food can lead to frequent indigestion.
Lack of Confidence
Due to a damaged or missing set of teeth, you will lose your confidence to smile. This, in turn, will reflect on your self-confidence levels, as well as self-esteem levels, negatively.
Since we have grasped adequate knowledge of the need for a dental denture, we must now comprehend the benefits of the same. This will enable us to differentiate between the qualities of a good denture, versus a bad denture.
Characteristics of a Good Denture:
In the spectrum of orthodontic treatments, dental dentures are considered the bee’s knees in prosthetic dentistry. This is because they provide the patient with the flexibility to manage their dental care. Moreover, due to the excellent quality of their composition, they can be highly durable and resistant to stains or discolouration. Listed below are some of the benefits of a good dental denture:
Enhance jaw functions
When well-fitted dentures are placed in your mouth, they can significantly enhance your jaw function. This is because, since they are custom-made to your dental needs, they can easily move with your jaws, thus improving your natural range of motion.
Customization
As mentioned previously, since dentures are tailor-made to your dental problems, the dentist will take appropriate measures of your face, jaw, and mouth. This will help dental professionals to construct a denture that will be a snug fit for your mouth.
Functionality & Comfort
Since dentures are made to fit the natural contours of your teeth, they promote comfortability. Also, when comfort is assured, you will automatically be able to procure an enhanced bite and speech functions. In addition to this, since they resemble your real teeth, you can easily achieve a bright and healthy smile.
Fewer Modifications Required
To piggyback off the customization quality of dental dentures, since they are a made-to-measure orthodontic appliance, the scope of modification is minimal. This means that your dentures and relines included in the procedure won’t need to be adjusted.
By highlighting the qualities of a good-fitting denture, you might now know what to expect as denture wearers. To further enlighten your understanding of the same, let’s look at how to spot a faulty denture.
When can you tell a denture is bad?
Listed below are some of the tell-tale signs of a bad denture:
Dentures that Slip
Generally, dentures are made to fit like a glove. However, if you find that your dentures are slipping out when you talk, eat, laugh, or even sneeze, then this is probably a sign of ill-fitting dentures. Without an alignment-based correction or immediate replacement of the same, you will be prone to an array of dental problems. Moreover, with slipping dentures, your facial appearance can also change, such as:
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Sagging of the cheeks -
Wrinkles on the face -
Sunken look in your jawline -
Makes you look more aged
Sores from Dentures
It is imperative to note that, even the slightest movement of dentures from within your mouth (ex: slipping) is a significant sign of bad dentures. To reiterate, if you feel a slight movement of these orthodontic appliances within your mouth, then it can cause denture sores.
So, what are denture sores?
Denture sores refer to the irritation caused to the gumline when the dentures rub against your gums. These sores are the resultant effect of donning an ill-fitted denture. Hence, to avoid these blisters from causing further aggravation to your gumline, consult your orthodontist immediately, to have your denture adjusted/replaced.
Pain from Dentures
If your dentures are not positioned properly, they may hurt your mouth before they cause sores. Due to this lack of alignment, the dentures host a whole new set of problems:
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Unevenly balanced bite function -
Added force to some places in your mouth -
Chewing becomes more painful -
You will also experience pain in other areas of the mouth with soft tissues -
Pain from the bad dentures can spread upwards from the mouth, exposing you to excruciating headaches and earaches.
Eating Problems
We all know that certain dietary restrictions are imposed upon denture wearers. But, when presented with an ill-fitting denture, you will not be able to enjoy the finite and limited diet you are given with. Since denture impacts your bite functions, they can ultimately cause you to encounter trouble while chewing food, especially hard and sticky food.
Hard to Maintain Denture Hygiene
Another denture problem you need to be aware of is that ill-fitting dentures are difficult to keep clean. This is because, while it is normal for certain food particles and debris to occupy the inner areas of your denture, this can quickly threaten your oral health if your denture does not fit you properly. In addition to this, you may also be subjected to foul or bad breath.
Infections Caused by Dentures
When the build-up of food residue and debris thickens under the dentures, your risk of developing fungus and other denture-related illnesses, such as yeast infections, is elevated. As a result of this, the area of your gum line that is exposed to these infected dentures becomes weak, reddened and swollen. Some of the mouth infections linked to dentures are:
Cheilitis
It refers to the inflammation and pain prevailing at the corner of your mouth. Cheilitis is caused by an overgrowth of yeast. If your dentures don’t fit properly, the yeast might collect in the moist places of your mouth
Stomatitis
This is yet another variety of yeast infection. Stomatitis begins to appear as small red lumps on the roof of your mouth. This infection is more common among people that use upper dentures.
Remember, if you frequently have this issue, it is likely that your dentures are contaminated
When Do I Need to See a Dentist?
Poorly fitting dentures can adversely affect your dental health in the long run and drastically reduce your quality of life. Fortunately, our team of dental experts at Clinic Effect can help!
Remember to make an appointment with an orthodontist if your dentures:
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Feel uncomfortable when you wear them -
Slip more frequently -
Make noises incessantly when you eat or talk -
Look visibly damaged or worn
Depending on the condition of your dentures, the troubles associated with them, and your dental needs, our orthodontic specialists will devise suitable treatment-based solutions to your problems. In most cases of ill-fitting dentures, the dentist usually opts for a “Denture Relining” treatment.
So, what is Denture Relining?
This process entails adding an extra layer of dental material into the inner plate of the denture that is attached to the gums. This is done to ensure that the dentures fit comfortably and securely inside your mouth.
This procedure of denture relining can usually be completed within just a single dental appointment. However, if there are any further complications to your dentures or any bigger adjustments that need to be made, the dentist will have to redo the entire denture procedure again. This may begin by retaking the impression of your mouth and sending it to the prosthetics lab for remodeling.
Some of the other reasons that force you to visit a dentist are
To maintain dental hygiene
You instantly increase your chance of developing cavities and gum disorders because dirt and food particles can seep into the spaces between your dentures. But, by having regular dental check-ups, you can continue to maintain your oral hygiene and prevent these risks.
To detect problems to your oral health
since we have already explored the avenue of ill-fitting dentures and its consequences for your oral health, our dentist once again stresses the importance of routine dental check-ups. By doing so, you can avoid oral health problems in the early stage, i.e., before they advance and become a troublesome set of complications.
To correct the fit of your dentures
ageing can influence the bite function in your mouth. but how? As we grow old, the soft tissues and hard tissues prevailing in the mouth tend to change. When this happens, your bite functions can also change. Hence, you would require a dental intervention, i.e.., to modify your dentures from time to time.
By visiting the dentist regularly, and addressing dental concerns at an early stage, you will be able to prolong the life of your dentures. Also, by correcting the fit of your dentures at a frequent pace, you can avoid complications that arise from an ill-fitted denture.
Caring for Dentures:
Listed below are some of the tips you can use to protect your dentures from damages:
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Dentures are not overnight dental appliances. So, always remember to take your dentures out before going to bed. -
Dentures are fragile. Hence, make sure to place your dentures in a protective case, and out of the reach of pets and children. -
Use a denture cleaner. Soak your dentures overnight. This will help disinfect the denture of any debris. -
Another way to clean your dentures, is by using a special denture cleaning brush or a soft-bristled toothbrush -
Steer away from household cleaners like bleach or toothpaste. Only use dentist-recommended denture cleaners -
Say no to toothpicks! Toothpicks can damage your dentures. It can cause them to chip or crack
Do not delay getting help if your dentures are causing you discomfort. Contact us right now to preserve your dental health and brighten your smile!
To learn more about our services, visit our website.
Reference List:
https://www.gotoapro.org/facts-figures/
