Without your teeth, you won’t be able to enjoy many of your favorite meals, and people might not understand you when you speak. Fortunately, dentists have been using dentures to help patients suffering from tooth loss for centuries. No matter if you’re missing an entire arch or just a few key teeth, Dr. Verner can give you natural-looking new teeth that fit as comfortably as possible in your mouth. Don’t force yourself to live with tooth loss; get in touch with Dental House of Pittsburgh today and let us help you fill that empty space!
The kind of denture you get depends on how many teeth you’ve lost. When most or all your natural teeth are gone, we recommend full dentures. This type of restoration can be removed and placed in your mouth as needed. They hold themselves in place on your gum tissue with natural suction, although a mild adhesive can sometimes be used. There are two kinds of full dentures you can receive.
If you need to have all your remaining teeth removed, you’ll need to give your oral tissue a chance to heal before your conventional full dentures are placed. The healing process normally takes a few months, leaving you without teeth in the meantime.
With immediate full dentures, your new smile will be ready much sooner. Dr. Verner will take the necessary measurements to fit the dentures before your remaining natural teeth are extracted. Once the procedure is done, your false teeth will be ready for immediate placement. That means you won’t have to go without teeth for an extended period of time. Keep in mind that your dentures will most likely need to be refitted at a follow-up visit due to the jawbone changing shape as it heals.
If you’re still able to keep some of your natural teeth, you can receive a partial denture. This restoration fits in your smile like a puzzle piece and is held in place with a metal clasp; it’s similar to a bridge, but it can be removed.
Like with any new oral appliance, you must give your mouth some time to get used to dentures. Many patients find their new teeth bulky at first, feeling like they don’t have enough room for the tongue; in other cases, the dentures might be loose. These issues will affect the way you eat and talk at first, but after a while your mouth will begin to figure out how to operate properly with your new teeth. To speed up the adjustment process, you can use a special adhesive to give your teeth stability while chewing, and you practice talking clearly by reading aloud and repeating troublesome words.
While dentures can’t develop cavities, it’s still important to keep them clean; otherwise the plaque and food particles that gather on them could contribute to gum disease and other oral health issues. Brush your dentures thoroughly before removing them, then place them into a denture cleaning solution. You can rinse them off, but do not use hot water to do so, as it could warp the material. Remember that dentures can break very easily when dropped, so always take care while handling them. Your dentures will need to be adjusted occasionally, so call Dr. Verner if they feel uncomfortable or loose; never try to fix them yourself.
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Oral Surgery Day
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