Having a missing tooth or teeth can be very frustrating. Not only does it make it harder to bite and chew, but it may also make you less likely to smile wide. On top of this, missing teeth can cause oral health issues.
If you have missing teeth, you’ll want to consider teeth replacement options. One popular option is dentures. Forest Hills Dental offers custom dentures in Forest Hills NY at an affordable price. There are a variety of dentures to choose from, and we will help you to choose the perfect ones.
What Are Dentures?
Dentures are appliances that are removable and are used to replace all or some of your missing teeth. There are different types of dentures with some that attach semi-permanently and others that are fully removable.
Dentures are an option for patients that have had teeth fall out, get knocked out, or have had them extracted. Whatever the reason, dentures are important to ensure the comfort and ongoing oral health of the patient.
Why Dentures?
There are a variety of reasons why a patient should consider dentures if they have missing teeth. Some of the reasons why you’ll want to consider dentures include:
- Teeth shifting. One of the biggest concerns with missing teeth is the fact that any remaining teeth may begin to shift over time. While this may not be an issue for patients that are missing an entire row of teeth, it is an issue for patients that need partial dentures. This shifting can lead to crookedness, crowding, and impacting.
- Oral health complications. With crookedness and crowding often comes oral health complications. It can be quite difficult to brush and floss teeth that are extremely crooked or crowded. This can lead to cavities and root infections. If these problems get bad enough, the teeth will need to be extracted. Partial dentures help to keep healthy teeth in place—which means no shifting.
- Speech. Those with a large portion of their teeth missing know how difficult it is to speak the same way they used to. Dentures make it easier for patients to speak clearly.
- Self-confidence. Many patients find it difficult to smile wide when they have missing teeth. This can lead to lower self-esteem and self-confidence. In turn, this can affect the mood of the patient. If you are suffering from lower self-confidence because you have missing teeth, dentures may be the perfect solution to give you a boost in self-confidence.
- Bite ability. Biting and chewing are very difficult with a large portion of your teeth missing. Dentures provide patients with greater bite strength and the ability to eat many of their favorite foods again.
Full Dentures
Full, removable dentures are intended to replace an entire row of missing teeth (whether they be upper or lower). If there are any existing teeth, they may be extracted if full dentures are chosen as the replacement option.
With conventional dentures, the dentures are held in place with suction. This is made easier with a proper fit. The dentures sit on your gums and the roof of your mouth (for upper dentures). For lower dentures, the dentures will sit on the gums alone. With that said, the muscles of the tongue, lips, and cheeks help to hold the dentures in place.
With full dentures, a patient has the additional support they need to avoid a sunken-in look on their face.
