I love that my family dentist is tech-savvy. It's so easy to book a dentist on his smartphone app if I have a tooth problem or if anyone in my family needs emergency problems (I can choose either my normal dentist or another dentist in his practise depending on availability). He also has some great cameras so that we can see exactly what is going on during treatment. I prefer not to see this, but my kids love to be able to see the dentist using his specialised tools to clean and repair their teeth. This blog has some tips on finding a tech-savvy dentist to help give your family the best possible dental care.
Mouth injuries, gum disease and decayed teeth can all lead to tooth loss, and dentures are often necessary to allow you to continue eating comfortably after tooth loss. Dentures can also help you retain your self-confidence, particularly in social settings and when eating out. However, there's an even more important reason for getting dentures after tooth loss. When you having missing teeth, your facial muscles will begin to sag over time and your remaining teeth may move out of alignment and spread out into the spaces. This can alter your speech and lead to jaw pain due to changes in your bite. There are several types of dentures available, and your dentist will recommend suitable types based on your specific oral health needs. Here's an overview of 3 popular types of dentures.
Complete Dentures
Complete dentures are a full set of teeth and are customised to fit your mouth perfectly and look natural. If you have lost all of your teeth, or if your dentist recommends having any remaining teeth extracted, complete dentures will allow you to eat and drink normally and minimise any changes to the shape of your face. These dentures look much more natural than they once did, and they are strong enough to allow you to indulge in the hardest and crunchiest of foods.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are suitable when you only have a few teeth missing, and the missing teeth need to be consecutive. There are two types of partial dentures to choose from. Removable partial dentures are held in place with a metal frame and consist of replacement teeth attached to a plastic base that simply fits over your gums. Fixed partial dentures do not have a plastic base and the replacement teeth are secured with dental implants. They are not removable and require the natural teeth on either side of the dentures to be strong and healthy.
Overdentures
Overdentures require metal implants that are screwed into your gums at the site of the missing teeth. The dentures then click into place over the implants and can be removed whenever you like. Overdentures are somewhat similar to full dentures other than the use of implants to secure the dentures in place. The implants make overdentures very secure and some people feel more confident eating in public with overdentures than traditional full dentures. However, when you take your dentures out, the metal implants will be visible along your gums.
If you require dentures and have concerns about how they will look or feel, speak to a dentist. Dentures are much sturdier and more natural in appearance than they were even a decade ago, so you may be surprised at how difficult it can be to tell them apart from natural teeth.
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