Basic Information About Dentures

You can lose your natural teeth in various ways, and when this happens, there may be a lot of disadvantages. Your facial muscles may sag, thus making you appear older. You will find it harder to speak and eat the same way you used to.

For this reason, you may consider getting dentures. Take a step toward restoring your beautiful smile by first learning some basic information about dentures. Dentures are removable prosthetic appliances that are used to replace missing teeth. They may be artificial, but they are made in such a way that they closely resemble your real teeth, so there is no need to worry about not looking “natural”.

If you are considering getting dentures, you need to know that there are three types: the conventional, the immediate and the over-denture.

Conventional Denture

The conventional denture is a fully removable appliance, made and placed after a few months, when your remaining teeth have been removed, and the tissues has all healed. The advantage of conventional dentures over the other types is that since it will take at least eight to 12 weeks before the tissues has healed, the dentures no longer require a lot of adjustments to fit properly. The mouth changes during the healing process – bones and gums shrink, so waiting for the mouth to heal completely before actually getting dentures is a good choice.

Immediate Denture

The immediate denture, on the other hand, is inserted on the same exact day that the teeth are removed. The dentist will take the measurements during an initial check-up so as to have your denture ready right after the removal of your teeth. The simple rationale of this is that you donĂ¢t have to be without any teeth during your healing period. However, you need to have them realigned after your mouth fully heals.

Over-Denture

And then there is the over-denture, which is used if some of your natural teeth can still be saved. It fits over some of your natural teeth so you do not have to have all of your remaining healthy teeth removed.

At first, you will experience some discomfort wearing your dentures. You may experience minor irritations like soreness. You may also discover that your saliva flow increases. If these problems persist, consult your dentist.

You should take care of your dentures just as you would take care of your natural teeth. Be sure to brush the inside of your mouth before inserting your dentures and likewise, your dentures also need to be brushed to remove plaque and avoid staining.

If you have additional questions about how dentures would work for you, contact an affordable dentist in Sterling, VA for more information, and answers to your questions.