Do you have multiple missing teeth? Maybe you have whole arches of missing teeth.
Dentures are one of the best restorative dental options for missing teeth. Dr. Emily Ann Reece provides denture treatment to patients in her Raleigh, NC dental office. We often recommend dental implants for a stable and permanent result. Implant-supported dentures ensure your long-term oral health and wellness.
Dr. Reece can create a denture that restores your ability to bite, chew, and speak easily again after tooth extraction or loss. Dentures and partials are a restorative dentistry solution for our patients missing teeth.
Why Replace Missing Teeth?
If you have missing teeth or need your teeth extracted for any reason, it is important to replace them as soon as possible. Filling in the gaps in your smile will help you maintain your overall and oral health as well as your appearance. Patients with decaying, damaged, or missing teeth can significantly improve their oral health, self-esteem, and quality of life by replacing them with dentures. If patients do not replace their missing teeth soon enough, they may suffer from many dental difficulties. However, replacing your teeth offers many benefits.
- Better Aesthetics: Missing teeth can have a significant impact on the appearance of your smile, leading to self-consciousness and embarrassment. Additionally, missing teeth causes bone loss in the jaw which leads to facial sagging over the years.
- Improved Speech: Missing teeth can impact your ability to pronounce words properly, leading to speech impediments.
- Proper Nutrition: Missing teeth can make it difficult to bite into and chew food properly. This leads to digestion issues and nutritional deficiencies.
- Jawbone Health: The bone in your jaw requires stimulation from the teeth to maintain its density and strength. When teeth are missing, the bone will start to deteriorate and cause changes to your facial structure.
- Adjacent Tooth Health: When a tooth is missing, the adjacent teeth can shift out of place. This alone will create a lot of additional problems that you will need to treat including a misalignment, decay, receding gums, and gum disease.
Gum recession can occur later in life due to missing teeth, which exposes the tooth root. Dental trauma, gum disease, vigorous brushing, genetic predisposition, and missing teeth. Not promptly replacing missing teeth can speed up these processes and open up more opportunities for dental issues to occur.
The Benefits of Replacing your Teeth with Dentures
Replacing your teeth with dentures will improve your oral health, confidence, and quality of life. However, it is important to note that traditional dentures will require some maintenance over the years and will eventually need to be replaced. These are important steps to make sure they fit properly and function correctly. Dentures are a popular option to replace missing teeth, and there are several benefits to choosing this option, including:
- Improved Appearance
- Improved Speech
- Improved Biting and Chewing Ability
- Affordable
- Custom Made to Fit Perfectly
- Non-Invasive Treatment
- Holds the Natural Shape of your Face
- Provides Durability
- Reduces the risk of gum disease
Types of Dentures
Full Dentures
Full dentures, also known as complete dentures, are a type of dental appliance that replaces all of the natural teeth in the upper or lower jaw, or both. They are made of a gum-colored acrylic base that sits on the gums, with all the false teeth attached to the base. Complete dentures are known to slip around in the mouth and you will need to adhere to some eating restrictions. They also will not protect you from bone loss in the jaw.
Partial Dentures
Made of metal or acrylic, partial dentures are replacement teeth that are attached to a plastic base with a metal framework. Partial dentures are removable. Although partial dentures are a more economical option compared to implant-supported dentures, they can easily slip, even if you use an adhesive. Partial dentures do not protect the teeth from jaw bone deterioration.
Implant Dentures
Dentures that are secured by implants are the preferred method for patients with multiple missing teeth. Although this option may seem more costly upfront, implant-supported dentures are permanent and do not require messy adhesives. The denture is secured in place with about 4 to 8 dental implants that are secured in the jaw bone.
Dental implants offer multiple benefits to patients. Implants secure the denture in place so there is no risk of slippage. The implant fixtures also act as missing teeth roots, preventing bone loss in the jaw. We are also able to convert existing dentures into an implant-supported denture.
Denture FAQs
Dentures can complete your smile and allow you live a normal life again. Read through our frequently asked questions section to learn more about them. If you still have further questions, please call our office or book an appointment with Dr. Reece.
How do I clean my dentures properly?
If you have implant-supported dentures, you’ll just need to follow your normal oral healthcare routine. If you have removable dentures, they’ll need to be taken out at night and cleaned properly. There are cleaners specifically for dentures and soaking them at night is also recommended.
Is it hard to get used to dentures?
Any dental restoration takes some time to get used to. But dental technology has come a long way since dentures were first introduced. They can look and feel very natural. Within a few weeks, they’ll feel normal in your mouth!
Do dentures change the shape of the face?
Yes, dentures can. But it’s usually for the better. When you’re missing teeth and the bone starts to deteriorate, your face begins to sag in that area. Dentures fill the area back out to give you a more natural look. You can smile confidently again!
How many hours a day can you wear dentures?
The rule of thumb is that you should wear your dentures for at least 8 hours each day. This will provide your jawbone and gums time to adjust to the dentures and stop sore spots from forming. To give your gums a chance to relax, it is recommended to remove them at night. Additionally, you ought to take them out when eating, drinking, brushing, and flossing.
Can you brush dentures with toothpaste?
Traditional toothpaste, bleach, vinegar, and soap are not intended for cleaning dentures and may even be harmful in rare circumstances. Denture odor is brought on by plaque and bacteria that are harbored by dentures. The pink portions of your dentures may even become white if you use harsh things like bleach. We recommend rinsing you denture with water or denture solution only.
Can I sleep with my dentures in?
No matter what kind of dentures you have, sleeping with them is never a good idea and can lead to a multitude of health problems. Make sure to take off your dentures every night before bed to keep your mouth free of bacteria, your gums healthy, and your bones strong and undisturbed.
Contact Reedy Creek Family and Cosmetic Dentistry to restore your smile with dentures. Request an appointment with Dr. Reece on our website or call 919-646-6294.