You may lose teeth due to accidents, falls, dental diseases, aging or other serious health problems. With replacement teeth, you can go regain most of the functionality that you have lost.

Dentures offer one of the best solutions for replacement teeth. Using dentures is commonplace and many dental clinics offer dentures as one of their routine procedures.

Losing teeth, no matter what the reason is, can create a dent in the self-confidence of the person. Teeth loss affects many of the important aspects of a person’s life – there will be a difference in consuming food as well as in speech patterns. This can also affect not only the oral health of the person, but the general well-being as well.

Dentures are an effective replacement for natural teeth and they are designed to be a good fit for the person who is using them. Some might need initial adjustments to be made at the clinic and then it will be easy to use. After dentures are placed, there is no need to change lifestyle and one can continue to consume food as before. When teeth are lost, they also signal dental degradation, but with dentures in place this process is slowed down.

Types of dentures

Deciding on the type of denture can be done only after a dental consultation.

The dentist will first conduct a thorough examination which will include the type of issue that has caused the loss of teeth. They will check the oral and dental health of the person, and if there are any other medical concerns. With this information the different options available are discussed with the patient.

Four types of dentures are possible – full, partial, temporary and flexible dentures.

Full dentures

Full dentures are recommended when the whole set of teeth is removed and replacement teeth are placed for the complete set. This happens usually when teeth are lost due to aging. Teeth both on the upper and lower jaw are replaced in this procedure. As it involves the whole set, the time taken for this procedure is a bit long and varies from person to person according to their specific requirements.

Partial dentures

Partial dentures are used when a complete teeth replacement is not needed. These dentures are placed in areas where teeth are lost. The neighbouring teeth are not disturbed in this procedure. Partial dentures can also be removed while at night to give the gums time to rest when not to use. This is a good option to go for when there is a small section of that teeth need to be replaced.

Temporary dentures

Temporary dentures are used while waiting for more permanent dentures. They are placed after teeth are removed and the permanent dentures are not ready yet. Placing these temporary dentures helps people to get used to wearing dentures and also to continue their lifestyle without any changes. Healing of the gums will continue even if temporary dentures are worn and they will be ready to accept permanent dentures when they are ready to wear.

Flexible dentures

Flexible dentures are like partial dentures, but they differ on the material they are made from. They are of a thinner variety when compared to the permanent dentures which are made of acrylic. Partial dentures have metal clasps that are sometimes visible but that is not the case in flexible dentures. Many people get used to wearing flexible dentures quickly.

Using dentures

Getting used to wearing dentures will take some time and practice. Dentures must be used constantly during the initial period as this will help the oral system get used to these devices.

Chewing food with dentures will take time, to make this process easier the food can be cut down to small pieces and then consumed. Biting and chewing food will be faster this way. It is not just chewing food that dentures support in, they also play a part in speech.

Practicing to speak will help a person to know how the words sound, and use dentures for clearer speech. If there is a pain in the gums when using dentures, then it is best to get it checked by the dentist than continue using them. While wearing dentures constantly is a must to get used to it, it is also important to give the gums time to heal. Removing the dentures and allowing gums to be exposed to air will help to give breathing time for the gums.

When you wear dentures for the first time, you may encounter issues of soreness and discomfort in the jaws and neck areas. If teeth have been removed to place complete dentures, then gums will also experience discomfort when dentures are used. There will be an increase in saliva production in the mouth as the system is getting used to the new device. But these issues go away in time, when a person gets comfortable in wearing dentures and knows how to use them properly. But if pain and discomfort persist, then it should be checked by a dentist.

Caring for dentures

Once the person has started using dentures, they must be taken care of like natural teeth. Food particles that are stuck on the dentures need to be removed. If the cleaning is not done properly, plaque deposits can be seen.

Brushing should not be done harshly as this will spoil the out covering of the dentures. They should be cleaned twice a day using soap/toothpaste. There are tablets available that are cleaning agents and they can be dropped in a glass of water and dentures can be placed in it.

Care must be taken while cleaning because if the dentures are dropped, they might break. Placing a towel and cleaning them will help — even if they slip, they will fall onto the towel. If there is a clicking sound while using dentures or they tend to slip while eating or speaking, then this issue must be checked with the dentist.