Natural Smiles • Jun 02, 2017
You hoped you would never be in this position, but here you are. You have to decide if you will get dentures to replace your missing teeth.
Before you make your decision, we invite you to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kiran Gill, our dentist in Louisville, KY. Not only can you get high-quality, natural-looking dentures, you may want to upgrade your dentures with the help of dental implants.
We’ll discuss benefits of each option below, or we would be happy to answer your questions in person. To make an appointment, either fill out our online contact form or call Natural Smiles at (502) 414-0146.
What Dentures Can Do For You
Even before you reached this point, you may have been familiar with dentures because an older relative may have had them. If so, you already understand that getting dentures is a big decision for anyone.
You could live without teeth, but this creates some significant problems. First, you may feel self-conscious about smiling or speaking in front of other people. You may worry that other people will make judgments about you when they see that your teeth are missing.
At a minimum, dentures provide the appearance of a full set of teeth. This can help you feel more comfortable in personal, social, and professional situations.
Second, eating is more difficult when you are missing all your teeth. We don’t have to explain that teeth are important for biting and chewing.
You can still eat foods that are soft, like pudding and mashed potatoes, without teeth. You can also eat soup. As much as you may like those foods, you probably don’t want to eat them all the time.
With dentures, you can regain around 50 pounds of biting force. This is about 25 percent of the force of someone with a full set of healthy teeth.
This may not seem like much, but it is a step up from living without any teeth replacements. It will allow you to eat many more foods. With practice and the help of denture adhesives, you can learn to eat many foods again.
It may take a little more effort since you can’t generate as much force as someone with all their teeth, but you can eat more than you could if you didn’t have your dentures.
Now, even with adhesives, traditional dentures can slip out of place from time to time. For some patients, this does become a source of frustration, which is why you may be interested in our full-mouth reconstruction.
Get More With Dental Implants
For a long time, dentures were the only option for replacing missing teeth. Dental implants make teeth replacements more complete.
Implants have been designed to replace the roots of your missing teeth. Like roots, dental implants are placed directly in your jaw. When you get a series of implants, this creates a secure foundation to support your dentures.
Traditional dentures rest over your gums. In contrast, implant-supported dentures are anchored to your jawbone.
By getting implants, you are making your dentures more stable, and by creating a direct connection to your jaw, you can put more force behind your bite. How much? Research has shown that patients with implant-supported dentures can regain 80 percent or more of their original bite force.
That’s enough that you can eat practically any food that you want to eat. It also means you can eat that food comfortably and without the extra effort required with traditional dentures.
Now, it does cost more to get dental implants, but many patients find it’s worth it for the improved quality of life.
Schedule A Consultation Before You Make a Decision
We want to reiterate that getting traditional or implant-supported dentures is a decision that could affect you for decades.
When you come for your appointment, our team at Natural Smiles can examine any remaining teeth you have along with the condition of your jaw. We will be happy to answer questions you have about dentures and about implants.
If you are a good candidate for implants, Dr. Gill can refer you to a preferred oral surgeon to make sure they are placed correctly. Then, we can work with you to maintain your oral health so you get the full benefit of having dental implants.
If you live in or near Louisville, KY, you can call us at (502) 414-0146 or fill out our online contact form to request an appointment.
We want you to have the information you need to make the right decision for yourself.