Adjusting to New Dentures: What to Expect
Adjusting to new dentures can be difficult, whether the patient is getting partial or full dentures. There are several reasons why adjusting to dentures can take time, but it will be worth it when they can smile with a full set of teeth. With dentures, a patient will gain both the restored natural appearance and functionality of teeth.
Necessary Changes to a Dental Hygiene Routine
Losing permanent adult teeth can be a problem that occurs with age and poor dental hygiene. Poor dental hygiene seems to accelerate the process of infection spreading and teeth falling out. If the infection spreads to multiple teeth or the entire mouth, then a professional will need to remove the teeth to prevent the infection from spreading and causing greater amounts of pain. Once we remove the infection, we can then insert the dentures.
Adjusting to wearing new dentures can also include a new dental hygiene routine at home. Patients will also need some time to practice speaking with the dentures. Surprisingly, people may find this more difficult than they believe since it is difficult to suddenly change one's routine. However, the benefits of wearing dentures will be the necessary changes.
The dentures themselves will feel slightly uncomfortable for the first few weeks. However, patients will adjust to the dentures with time. Patients will be able to invest in natural-looking dentures and feel confident in their smile.
Different Types of Dentures
There are multiple types of dentures for a patient to choose. Depending on the current state of the patient's oral health, we may recommend a specific type of dentures for the patient. We will customize each patient's dentures to their mouth for a perfect fit. Therefore, patients will not have to worry about issues with the size of the dentures.
Conventional complete dentures are one type of denture that we will place in the mouth without any teeth or after we remove the last few. These are the most common form of dentures that people will wear. They consist of two separate rows for the upper and lower teeth.
Implant-supported dentures attach the dentures to metal posts in the jaw to remain in place. These types of dentures will not need removal for cleaning. However, not all patients will be able to wear implant supported dentures. We will determine the best choice for the patient during an examination.
Regardless of the type of dentures, there are multiple health benefits to wearing dentures.
Benefits of Dentures
Full Functionality With a Natural Appearance
Dentures can look great and function like regular teeth. Patients who receive dentures can continue to eat the foods they know and love. However, patients will need to start out with softer foods before shifting to harder and stickier foods.
The reason for this is that the patient needs time to adjust to using the new dentures. However, once the patient has time to adjust to the dentures, the patient will be able to have a fully-functional mouth once again. Unlike popular belief, people will not notice that the teeth are false.
Eat Whatever Foods One Prefers
While the patient will need to eat softer foods for the first few weeks after getting dentures, they will be able to eat their favorite foods with time. Once the patient adjusts to using and speaking with the dentures, they will not feel encumbered by the dentures.
Stimulating the Face Structure
When an individual does not have teeth in the mouth, the body will go through the process known as resorption. In this process, the body senses that there are no teeth to stimulate the nerves in the mouth. Thus, the body will leach calcium from the jaw bone and weaken the structure in the face. Resorption can cause the face to have a sagging appearance. Having dentures can help to prevent the sagging appearance in one's face.
Adjustment Takes Time
At Advanced Dental Care of Hutto, we will go over all of the necessary steps for denture care and how long the adjustment process will take. Once the patient adjusts to the dentures, we are confident that the dentures will be a perfect fit. Call us at (512) 846-2011 if you have any interest or questions about dentures. We will schedule an appointment to examine your teeth and determine the best form of dentures to give you the appearance and functionality of a full smile.
New Patients and Emergency Appointments Welcome
Questions Answered on This Page
Definition of Denture Terminology
Alveolar Bone
The alveolar bone is the bone surrounding the root of the tooth that keeps the tooth in place.
Clasp
A clasp is a device that holds a removable partial denture prosthesis to the teeth.
Denture Base
The denture base is the part of the denture that connects the artificial teeth with the soft tissue of the gums.
Edentulous
Edentulous is a term that applies to people who do not have any teeth.
Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease is a condition that causes inflammation of the gingival tissues and membrane of the teeth, leading to tooth loss without professional treatment.
Pontic
Pontic is another term for an artificial tooth on a fixed partial denture.
Rebase
Rebase is the process of refitting denture prosthesis by replacing the base material.
Reline
Reline is when a professional resurfaces the surface of the prosthesis with a new base material.
Resin/Acrylic
Resin and Acrylic are resinous materials that can be components in a denture base.
Stomatitis
Stomatitis is the inflammation of the tissue that is underlying a denture that does not fit properly. It can also result from other oral health factors.
