Dentures – Colleyville, TX

Effects of Missing Teeth

Going without teeth may seem like a viable option at first, but the truth is that life becomes much more challenging. You use your teeth daily for eating as well as talking, which means these tasks are more difficult without strong teeth. When you eat soft, processed foods exclusively, you are likely going to see your overall health decline. Missing teeth can also land a huge blow to your self-esteem, affecting your mental health.

In terms of your smile, lost teeth lead to several negative outcomes; namely, the surrounding teeth shift out of alignment into the space to compensate for the gap. In addition, the jawbone starts to lose density when the roots of teeth are extracted.

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

Although most patients with tooth loss can get dentures, there are a few basic requirements. For instance, your mouth must not have any infections, and you must be in good health generally. Uncontrolled diabetes, among other ailments, can interfere with your new prosthetic teeth.

While we’re putting together your treatment plan, we’ll survey the status of your oral and overall health to determine if you require preliminary care before moving forward, which might include periodontal therapy, tooth extraction, or bone grafting.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

Although dentures are a popular choice for those who are missing two or more teeth, there may be a better alternative available. For example, if your missing teeth are in a row and have a healthy tooth on both sides of the gap, you may wish to consider a bridge.

Ultimately, however, the best option is attaching your dentures to implants. With these anchors, the dentures don’t have to rely on suction, which means your replacement teeth won’t slip. You also get the added benefits of keeping the jawbone strong and of being able to use your dentures for decades before needing replacement.

What Are Dentures Made Of?

There are two distinct parts to a denture: the base and the teeth. Here is an in-depth explanation as to how each work:

• Base of the Denture: The base of your denture is viewed as the foundation. This is what will help to support your new teeth. Made using various materials, they are commonly constructed from acrylic, porcelain, resin, nylon, or metal. Oftentimes, full dentures come fabricated with an acrylic base because of how it can be tailored to the natural shade of your gum tissue. Partial dentures are also crafted from acrylic but incorporate metal clips that attach to natural teeth. There are instances, however, where nylon is used instead of acrylic.
• Artificial Teeth: Commonly made from resin or porcelain, your artificial teeth will maintain a natural appearance. Of these two options, though, porcelain is the most common and popular because of its ability to take on a more natural look. It is also highly durable, which is reassuring to those suffering from tooth loss. Also, porcelain is known to be a bit abrasive on nearby teeth, so it’s usually used only on full dentures.

The Denture Creation Process

When it comes to creating your dentures, there is a step-by-step process that must occur before you receive your final prosthetics:

• Your dentist or prosthodontist will begin by taking impressions of your upper and lower gums. By creating a plaster model of your mouth, your dentist uses it to ensure that the final denture is created to be the right size and shape. Your jaw will also likely be measured during this stage of treatment.
• The cast of your mouth will then be sent to a dental laboratory where technicians will fabricate your dentures. A wax version of your gumline will also be created.
• Artificial teeth will be created and set into place, and a device known as an articulator will attach the teeth using wax. Any minor adjustments that need to be made (i.e., shaping and carving wax) will be completed by the technician to ensure it looks like your gums. The wax base is then used to help with the completion of your dentures.
• Once the wax dentures are finished, they are sent to our team for a fitting. If approved, they will be returned to the lab for process completion. During this time, you will wear a temporary or immediate dentures while your permanent one is made.
• Once the lab receives the wax dentures, the technician will boil them to remove any wax areas before placing the prosthetics in a flask. This holds them so that plaster can be poured in to maintain the denture shape. The flask is then placed in hot water so that the dentures will melt.
• Lab technicians will then make holes within the teeth so that the material will attach, and a liquid separator is added to the plaster layer to keep the acrylic from sticking. Acrylic is then injected into the flask to replace the wax.
• Once the plaster is removed, the dentures are revealed, and they are placed into an ultrasonic bath to rid the dentures of any remaining plaster.
• If there is any remaining acrylic, it will be cut off from the denture and trimmed before final polishing.
• Once completed, you will return to our office for a final fitting. If adjustments are necessary, they will be performed that day so that our new teeth are working properly.

Adjusting to Your New Dentures

While it is completely normal for there to be a level of discomfort at the beginning of treatment, it will go away over time. Some mild soreness will occur, and you may find it difficult to speak or eat in the initial days and weeks. As your tongue, teeth, cheeks, and lips become accustomed to your dentures, you will slowly notice that various daily tasks become easier to complete. If you want to try and speed up the adjustment period, you can do so by eating soft foods and exercising your facial muscles. You can also use denture adhesive to help keep your denture in place, offering a bit of added security. Should you, at any point, notice an increase in discomfort, make sure to call our office right away, as additional adjustments may be needed.

Psychological Benefits

Indeed, coping with tooth loss is a tricky thing. Your mood can quickly sour when you don’t have a full smile. In particular, the situation may make you feel anxious or insecure. You’d then begin to feel sad and struggle in social settings. In the worst case, you might even suffer clinical depression.

Luckily, dentures often prevent this outcome. Wearing them restores your smile, so they usually help patients feel confident. Over time, this confidence translates to self-assurance in looks, speech, eating habits, and more.

Clearer Enunciation

As you’d expect, it’s pretty hard to speak without teeth. Your tongue can’t enunciate words without all your pearly whites. Given this fact, a toothless grin always causes speech problems. Such issues range from lisps and slurred words to mispronunciations.

All that said, dentures sidestep the speech dilemma. By acting as replacement teeth, they help your tongue enunciate. Therefore, they’ll let you speak clearly after a brief adjustment period. That’s only natural – talking with dentures takes time and practice.

Improves Nutrition

If you didn’t already know, losing teeth makes meals difficult. You need your chompers to chew food well. So, lacking them may force you to exclude tough food from your diet. This restriction usually leads to malnutrition and indigestion.

Even here, though, dentures can help. These prosthetics are durable, meaning they let you chew tough foods. As a result, they’d increase your meal choices and improve your nutritional health.

Preserves Oral Health

Yes, a smile without teeth is harmful to your looks. More crucially, however, this tooth loss damages your oral health. It leads to “smile gaps” that let harmful bacteria breed, thus raising your risk of gum disease and other infections. Those same spaces can also make your remaining teeth tilt and fall out.

Of course, dentures help you avoid these matters. They fill your smile gaps and thus reduce the spread of harmful germs. Furthermore, they can keep your other teeth from tilting or falling.

Expands Opportunities

A nice smile is crucial to good first impressions. After all, its beauty can put someone at ease and prompt positive emotions. That being the case, having a gorgeous grin results in great opportunities. Your flawless teeth can inspire close friendships and better work conditions.

Fortunately enough, dentures can provide just such teeth. That means they’d allow you to forge strong bonds with peers, coworkers, and more. If you’re lucky, the prosthetics might even lead to a promotion or raise at work!

Removeable Dentures

Remove After Eating

After you eat, you should take out and rinse your denture. This helps to prevent the buildup of food debris and plaque. When rinsing, you shouldn’t use water that is too hot. This can warp the denture material and cause it not to fit properly.

Clean Your Restoration

Take your dentures out when it’s time to clean them. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush and a small amount of unscented hand soap, mild dish soap, or denture cleanser, gently brush your dentures. You shouldn’t use regular toothpaste because it is too abrasive for your prosthetic. If you won’t be wearing your dentures again right away, you should place them in a container of water or denture-cleaning solution. Remember to always rinse your dentures thoroughly before putting them back in your mouth.

Keep Your Dentures Safe

When you clean your dentures, put a towel beneath them. This way, if your dentures accidentally slip out of your hands, they are less likely to become damaged. When you aren’t wearing your dentures, remember to keep them in a place that isn’t accessible to small children or curious pets.

Remove When You Sleep

When you go to bed, you should take out your dentures. This is because wearing dentures restricts the circulation in your gums. This can lead to soft-tissue irritation. Sleeping with dentures has also been associated with higher levels of gum and tongue plaque. You should keep your dentures in a denture-soaking solution overnight. If you let your dentures dry out, they can permanently lose their shape.

Notice Changes

You should always be on the lookout for changes so you can address them with your dentist. This includes mouth sores, gum irritation, and signs of infection. If your dentures become damaged, you shouldn’t attempt to repair them on your own. Instead, let us know what’s going on. We can give you further instructions from there. If you don’t think your dentures are fitting properly anymore, this is another reason you should give us a call.

All-on-4 Dental Implants

If you have all-on-4 dental implants, the process looks a little bit different. You should brush your dentures twice a day using a soft-bristled toothbrush and non-abrasive toothpaste. Floss your replacement teeth daily. Floss threaders are available to help you thoroughly floss beneath your denture. You should also rinse your mouth with antibacterial mouthwash for extra freshness.