Dentures Waco

Effects of Missing Teeth

There are several potential causes behind your missing teeth, like tooth decay or physical injury, but gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. When these connective tissues become infected, they start to recede. As they pull away from your teeth, more of the vulnerable roots are exposed, and they can become loose or fall out.

Missing teeth make tasks like eating, speaking, and smiling much more challenging. On top of that, without a root in place to stimulate new bone growth every time you bite down or chew, your jawbone begins to deteriorate. In time, it can become too thin and frail to support your remaining teeth. Having dentures can restore both your smile’s appearance and its functionality.

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

Dentures aren’t necessarily right for everyone. Our team looks for the following characteristics when determining whether this is the best treatment option for you:

• Significant tooth loss. They are a versatile solution that can replace a few or all your teeth with a single prosthetic.
• Tooth sensitivity. They can act as a buffer between your teeth and any overly hot or cold foods and drinks that trigger an unpleasant sensation.
• Severe decay. Other restorations, like dental bridges, require healthy teeth to be an anchor in your mouth. If yours are overly damaged or decayed, dentures may be a better fit.
• Commitment to oral hygiene. You’ll need to keep your mouth and artificial teeth clean to avoid gum disease and other issues, so it’s essential to practice daily dental hygiene at home.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

If our team determines that you’re not a good candidate for dentures, there’s still hope. There are other ways to rebuild your grin, such as:

• Dental bridges. These are used to replace one or several missing teeth in a row. They have a dental crown on both ends that are bonded over the healthy teeth on each side of the gap in your smile.
• Dental implants. These artificial teeth are the only ones that are surgically inserted into your jawbone, and so they offer unique advantages. They’re often more expensive but offer additional strength and resilience.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dental Implants

Partial Dentures

Partial dentures are more simply referred to as partials. They feature multiple teeth that are mounted across a gum-colored base. These replacement teeth may not be consecutively arranged, but rather spread across the base to fit like a puzzle piece between existing teeth. In most cases, partials are secured with clips or brackets and can be taken out for easy cleaning.

Full Dentures

As with a partial, full dentures feature multiple teeth attached to a gum-colored base. But in this case, the restoration is designed to replace all of the teeth along your upper or lower arch instead of just a few teeth. Full dentures can be closed or open palate and are usually held in place by natural suction, muscle strength in your cheeks, and over-the-counter denture adhesive.

Implant Dentures

If you' d like to consider a more secure alternative, you can ask about your implant-supported options. Dental implants are titanium posts that are surgically placed at strategic points along the jaw. Depending on the type of implant denture you will have, you will need between two to six dental implants. After surgery, these implants will fuse with your jawbone via a process called osseointegration. It’ s what will provide a secure foundation for implant dentures and partials. Since they act like prosthetic tooth roots, patients receiving dental implants can look forward to natural-looking results. Moreover, because dentures are secured to the implants, they will not shift or fall out the way removable dentures can.

Learn More About Implant Dentures

Psychological Benefits

Do you feel self-conscious about how your smile looks? This issue can be more than just an aesthetic problem and affect your mental health. Research shows that those who smile frequently tend to feel happier than those who don’t. In other words, if you hide your smile because of missing teeth, you could deprive yourself of a mood boost. Dentures can give you the confidence to let your smile show, which can brighten your day as well as that of the people you share your smile with!

Clearer Enunciation

Communication can be challenging even without speech issues. In any language, certain sounds are easier and clearer with teeth, such as s, th, t, d, and f just to name a few. In fact, a lack of teeth can make carrying on a simple conversation difficult or frustrating, which can isolate you from others. However, with teeth to enunciate, you can talk with those around you and stay better connected.

Improves Nutrition

If you’ve ever tried eating without teeth, you are all too familiar with the struggles of gumming your food. Your diet can become much more limited in nutrition and taste. Prosthetic teeth can give you more of your biting force back and break down more food options for smoother and more comfortable digestion. As a result, you have more freedom to eat nutritious foods you love!

Preserves Oral Health

Dentures, especially implant dentures, offer oral health benefits as well. When teeth are lost, the jawbone also loses stimulation and density, slowing changing shape and strength over time. Plus, any remaining teeth can shift or wander out of alignment. Dentures can preserve your teeth’s alignment and slow the deterioration process. Implant dentures actively stop this jawbone loss by replacing the stimulating roots with implant posts.

Expands Opportunities

Sadly, people do consider appearance when developing an opinion about others. In some situations, such as job interviews, a first impression can make a huge difference. If you don’t have a complete set of teeth, it could close doors to you socially and professionally. On the other hand, if you have a full smile, new opportunities may become available to you to enrich your life.