Dentures: Total oral health solution

The race to good health begins from the mouth and teeth are the torch bearers of this race. So, you must have clearly understood the importance of teeth in our lives. Imagine what will happen if you lose a tooth or god forbid you lose all your teeth. How will you eat? Will your speech get affected? What will your face look like? Relax we have a solution to your problem and that is ‘dentures’.

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WHAT ARE DENTURES?

Denture also knew as false teeth are replacements for missing teeth and help restore your smile. They fit over the gums to replace your missing teeth to eliminate the future problems caused by the gaps.

TYPES OF DENTURES

There are basically two types of dentures:

a) Complete Dentures – A full denture will be fitted if all your upper or lower teeth need to be removed or you’re having an old complete denture replaced. They are all usually fitted as soon as your teeth are removed, which means you won’t be without teeth. These dentures fit snugly over your gums and jawbone.

b) Partial Dentures – A partial denture is designed to fill in the gaps left by one or more missing teeth. A number of false teeth could be fitted on a plate made of plastic, nylon or metal. It usually clips onto some of the teeth via metal clasps which are held securely in place in your mouth, these can be easily be unclipped or removed

Irrespective whether you use complete dentures or partial dentures you would definitely wonder; How long would it take to get used to your new dentures? Feeling awkward and uncomfortable is the most common experience for everyone this would usually take a few weeks or even months in a few cases. A little practice is required initially to eat and speak with the new dentures.

Another frequent query is how long do these dentures last? The answer to this is that your dentures should last several years if you take good care of them. However, over a period of time,they will need to be relined, remade or rebased due to normal wear. To ensure your dentures last long you should at minimum see your dentist annually for a checkup.

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR DENTURES?

Step 1: Dental Hygiene

To prevent tooth decay, gum disease & other dental problem it is essential you brush your dentures as well as your remaining teeth every morning and evening with Fluoride toothpaste as keeping your mouth clean is very important when you wear dentures.

Step 2: Cleaning Dentures

Unclean dentures can cause bad breath tooth decay, gum disease hence it is important to regularly remove plaque & food deposits from your dentures. Dentures may break if you drop them so make sure you place a soft folded towel underneath it before keeping it somewhere cleaning the dentures.

Follow these steps:

To keep your dentures clean brush your dentures with toothpaste.
Soak them in fizzy denture solutions to remove food particles, stains, bacteria, etc.
Brush them again like normal teeth

Step 3: Eating With Dentures

Make sure that when you first start eating after wearing your new dentures you eat soft food, chew softly & use both sides of your mouth. You can gradually start to eat another type of food until you’re back to your old diet. Never use a toothpick.

Step 4: Denture Adhesive

If your dentures fit properly you shouldn’t need denture adhesive, however,some people feel more confident with their dentures if they use adhesive. Generally, to retain dentures when the jawbone has shrunk adhesive are used by your dentist and they usually advise you to do so in such a scenario.

The petrol for the body is food and to make sure you can consume the best of food always your dental hygiene should up-to the mark. Make sure your dentures are well cleaned and maintained because healthy teeth are not a destination but a way of life. So, with your sparkling teeth put on your best smile every day.