Dentures - Weatherford, TX
We Can Complete Your Smile
An estimated 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth, with about 40 million of them having no remaining pearly whites. Because advanced tooth loss is such a common phenomenon, dental professionals have developed several different methods of replacing lose teeth, one of which being dentures. Today’s dentures are nothing like the ones your grandparents wore – they are infinitely more comfortable and lifelike. Keep reading to learn more about dentures and how they can benefit you.
Who’s a Good Candidate for Dentures?
Generally, being a good dentures candidate in Weatherford takes little. Almost anyone can get these prosthetics if they suffer from tooth loss. That said, you can only confirm your candidacy by consulting withour dentists. An in-person visit lets us see if dentures would suit your mouth. If they wouldn’t, though, don’t worry – we can provide prep work or other restorations. As for the details of our vetting process, you can learn all about them by reading below!
Effects of Missing Teeth
When going into a denture consult, it’s best to know the causes and long-term effects of tooth loss. That way, you can better appreciate how the prosthetics would help your smile.
Ultimately, people can lose teeth for various reasons. Sometimes, a tooth decays so much that it falls out or needs extraction. On the other hand, gum infections can erode the bone and tissue that keep pearly whites in place. Physical injuries are also a causal factor, as they can lead to knocked-out teeth.
The risks, meanwhile, of not replacing your missing teeth are consistent. Most noticeably, going without chompers will make eating, speaking, or even smiling harder. As more time passes, your smile gaps will also trigger jaw erosion that ages your face. Those empty spaces may even make your remaining teeth fall out as well.
What Qualifies You for Dentures?
Of course, our team will assess you for tooth loss during the consultation. However, other factors can also make you a good denture candidate. For instance, these prosthetics are great for those with tooth sensitivity or advanced tooth decay. Similarly, your mouth can support dentures if you have sufficiently healthy gum and jaw tissue. We’ll also check your commitment to dental health, as you’ll need to care for your dentures and smile properly.
The number of missing teeth is also a treatment consideration. When you only lack a few, a partial model would be preferable. Alternatively, a full denture is preferable if you’re missing all the teeth along an arch.
Lastly, your finances will play a role, too. Dentures are more affordable than other restorations, so they work well for patients on a budget.
Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options
Even if you aren’t a good dentures candidate in Weatherford, you still have options. After all, Cosmetic & Family Dentistry has other tooth-replacement procedures. They are:
- Dental Bridges – Dental bridges are fixed restorations, usually given to patients only missing a few teeth. Due to relying on crowns fused to pontics, they need healthy teeth near the treated area to support themselves.
- Dental Implants –Implants are artificial teeth placed directly in the jawbone. Thanks to having a titanium base, they gradually fuse with the jaw and restore much of your bite force. To qualify for them, though, you must have sufficient jawbone density. Still, their benefits are often worth the treatment process – permanence, lack of slipping, natural-looking results, and more!
Learn More About Dental Bridges Learn More About Dental Implants
Types of Dentures
The three main kinds of dentures are:
Full Dentures
These are what your mind typically conjures when someone mentions the word “dentures.” Full dentures consist of a gum-colored acrylic base onto which an entire arch of ceramic teeth is anchored. They stay in place with a natural suction on the gumline, and denture adhesive if need be.
Partial Dentures
For patients who still have some healthy teeth remaining, we recommend a partial denture. Partials consist of a metal framework with as many ceramic teeth as you need to complete your smile. The metal clasps attach to your remaining teeth.
Implant-Retained Dentures
We also offer full or partial dentures secured by dental implants. We can place four to six of these durable titanium posts at strategic angles throughout your jawbone to provide enough long-lasting support for your new teeth. Implant-retained dentures should never lose their fit and have the potential to last for decades, unlike conventional dentures, which must be relined or replaced every few years.
Benefits of Dentures
Dentures, whether full or partial, allow you to enjoy life to the fullest again after tooth loss. They can restore your ability to smile with confidence and without embarrassing gaps in your grin. You’ll be able to eat a varied diet again. Since dentures can restore the majority of your former biting force, you’ll be able to absorb more nutrients from the food you eat. Lastly, dentures prevent problems that come from prolonged tooth loss, like drooping facial muscles and shifting of remaining teeth.
You may not be sure about which method is best to replace your missing teeth, but that’s okay; we can guide you through information about each option and perform an examination to help you navigate your choices. Contact Cosmetic and Family Dentistry of Weatherford, convenient to patients from Aledo, Brock, Millsap, Mineral Wells, Springtown, and beyond, to make an appointment with one of our dentists.
How Dentures are Made
Regarding dentures in Weatherford, you may want to learn how they’re made. After all, it’s only fair that you know what went into your new teeth. Unfortunately, it can be hard to find the relevant facts. Given this reality, we at Cosmetic & Family Dentistry can help: below is a summary of standard denture parts and their manufacturing process. Looking it over will let you see “how the magic happens,” so to speak. With that said, keep reading to get a new respect for dental restorations!
What are Dentures Made Of?
Ultimately, dentures are made up of two principal parts: the base and the artificial teeth. Each component is essential to the prosthetic’s overall function. To see for yourself, consider their features:
- Denture Base – The base supports a denture’s artificial teeth. To ensure it blends seamlessly with your mouth, it’s usually pinkish and sits over your gum tissues. A given base can be made from various materials, but labs pick the substance based on the denture type needed.
- Artificial Teeth – Artificial teeth are dentures’ tooth-replacing portions. Labs often make them from resin or porcelain to ensure lifelike results.
The Denture Creation Process
Remember, any given denture is custom-made for one patient’s mouth. That means making each one requires a multi-step process. Here’s a brief look, then, at what those steps are:
- Step 1: The dentist takes an impression of your upper and lower gums. From there, the resulting model is sent to a lab to help create the dentures.
- Step 2: Once crafted, the lab sends the wax dentures to the dentist/prosthodontist for a fitting. Assuming patient and dentist approval, the restorations are returned to the lab for completion.
- Step 4: A technician boils the dentures to remove their wax portions. They then place the appliance in a flask to pour plaster. Subsequently, the flask is placed in hot water to melt the dentures.
- Step 5: The lab worker makes holes in the artificial teeth so new material can attach. A liquid separator is also added to the plaster layer to prevent the acrylic from sticking. The same acrylic is then injected into the flask to replace the wax.
- Step 6: The worker removes the plaster to reveal the prosthetics. Later, they place the dentures in an ultrasonic bath to remove leftover plaster.
- Step 7: After cutting away excess acrylic, the technical polishes the restorations
- Step 8: The patient returns to the office for fitting and final adjustments.
Adjusting to Your New Dentures
When you first start wearing dentures, your mouth may experience some discomfort. There’s no need to worry, though – such aches are normal. You’ll adjust to the appliance with time until it eventually feels similar to your natural teeth.
Of course, you can always speed up the adjustment if you’d like. You could try eating soft foods, as they won’t cause soreness from chewing. On the other hand, strengthening the facial muscles and working with dental adhesives are also viable options.
As you adjust, however, remember to be careful. It’s crucial that you visit our office if your denture discomfort persists. Should that happen, the appliance may need to be altered.
Understanding the Cost of Dentures
While dentures are one of the more affordable solutions to severe tooth loss, it’s important to keep in mind that there are many factors that can influence their overall price tag. These should be discussed with our dentists directly so that you have a better idea of what to expect when it comes time to finance care. The most influential factors are noted below as well as methods on how to cover costs for your convenience!
Dentures FAQs
Losing your teeth is an unfortunate experience. From being unable to chew your favorite foods to missing out on having a confident smile, missing teeth in Weatherford can really impair your quality of life. Luckily, dentures provide an excellent alternative to suffering through having an incomplete smile. If you’re considering rebuilding your smile with dentures, we recommend reading through this list of frequently asked questions about them first.
How Long Do Dentures Last?
Generally, traditional full and partial dentures last anywhere from five to seven years before they need to be replaced. However, you may have to get them relined every year or two. A reline is a procedure in which your dentist refills the gum-facing side of the denture with a new material to improve its fit. The reason this procedure is necessary is because, with conventional dentures, your jawbone is no longer stimulated by the roots of your teeth. It then begins to deteriorate, causing your gum tissue to change shape and your dentures to not fit as snugly as they once did.
Implant-retained dentures, on the other hand, can be expected to last significantly longer. While the false teeth themselves may have to be replaced every few years, the implants should remain within your jawbone for several decades, possibly even the rest of your life.
How Will Dentures Affect the Way I Eat?
Eating with dentures is a skill that can take up to a few weeks to effectively master. It may help to adhere to a soft food diet in the beginning until you get more acquainted with the way your new teeth feel in your mouth. We also recommend cutting your food up into bite-sized chunks at first and chewing evenly with both sides of your mouth. As you get more used to chewing with dentures, you can gradually work your way up to larger bites. Eventually, eating with dentures should feel not that different from chewing with your natural pearly whites.
How Do I Clean My Dentures?
When handling your dentures, always hold them over a basin of water or a soft towel to minimize the chance that they’ll break if you drop them. Although you can sleep in your dentures, we highly suggest taking them out at night and let them soak in cold or lukewarm (never hot) water or denture cleanser. This also gives your jawbone and gum tissue an opportunity to rest after holding your dentures in place all day.
After you eat, run water over your dentures to remove food debris. Every morning and night, you should brush your dentures with a soft-bristled toothbrush (but no toothpaste, as that can be abrasive). Additionally, you should gently brush your tongue, gums, and palate every day to stimulate blood flow and reduce your chance of developing gum disease.
Will People Be Able to Tell I Have Dentures?
While the dentures your grandparents wore may have been noticeable, today’s dentures are individually designed to fit within your unique smile. We take detailed impressions to create the most realistic-looking teeth we can. Unless you go around telling people about your dentures, no one should be able to tell they’re not your natural teeth.