Reclaim Your Smile!

Dentures can give you your smile back.

Replacing missing teeth can improve your health as well as boost your confidence. It’s a whole lot more than just liking what you see in the mirror.

You might be surprised to learn that more than 40 million people in the United States wear dentures. That’s around 12% of the American population, although experts suspect that number is somewhat higher due to partial plates, bridges, dental implants, and other solutions for missing teeth.

Dentures are perhaps the best known of all dental appliances that are designed to replace missing teeth. They are removable and can either be a full plate or a partial plate. A full plate, of course, is used when all the upper or lower teeth are missing while a partial plate is used when only a few of the teeth are missing.

This tends to be the most cost effective, easiest, and most convenient option for most dental patients.

If you’ve never explored the possibility of getting dentures to replace your missing teeth, read on. It could be just what the doctor ordered.

Common Questions about Dentures

Do all dentures look fake?

You’ve probably seen at least one “bad” set of dentures on someone, but that doesn’t mean that all dentures look fake. The truth is a high-quality set of dentures that is custom made to fit the patient looks quite natural.

It’s all about how they are crafted, and the materials used. We use high grade materials and match the synthetic gum tissue to the shade of your gums as well as the shade of the teeth to blend seamlessly with your own.

We also take proper measurements to ensure not only a comfortable, secure fit but also a natural appearance. We take great care to craft each plate so that the teeth are the appropriate shape and height for the patient’s mouth and face.

Do dentures stain easily?

Again, it’s all about the material and the craftsmanship. Quality dentures are more stain resistant than natural teeth! This is because the technicians use a special resin composite material that includes a sealant specially designed to protect against staining.

Can I eat normally with dentures?

Usually your chewing ability is improved with well-made dentures. However, without the support of implants, there will be some limitations on the types of food that you may be able to chew. This depends on the patient, some taking to their dentures with ease, and some needing more time to figure them out. Dentures are a solution to decayed and broken teeth, pain, and poor esthetics, but they do have a unique set of challenges themselves. Problems with dentures include having to use adhesive, learning how to chew foods with a denture, and difficulty pronouncing certain words (at first).

Is it normal for dentures to move?

Ideally we would like an upper denture to be stable. Usually with a well-made denture and possibly some denture adhesive, they work very well for patients. However, there are times when a patient's anatomy does not allow for a prosthesis to fit without the aid of adhesive or without implants to support the denture. Lower dentures frequently shift without the support of implants for the denture to snap onto. This is because there is no opportunity for suction (and adhesive usually gets washed out by saliva). 

Do dentures make you look older or younger?

Getting dentures that are fitted properly and crafted to fit your mouth and face can actually make you look younger. Tooth loss leads to changes in the facial structure due to bone loss, loss of tone of the facial muscles, and an impaired bite. This can make you look older than you actually are. Dentures help to maintain your jaw, facial muscle tone, and bite giving you a more youthful appearance.

Do You Need Dentures?

There are several reasons that you may be a good candidate for dentures. They can address a number of issues - and missing teeth is just one.

Loose or Shifting Teeth

If you have loose teeth or if your teeth are shifting, causing large spaces in between, it could signify bone loss and periodontal disease. Any loose teeth will need to be removed and dentures offer a comfortable, natural-looking tooth replacement option.

Mouth Pain

Mouth pain in the teeth, jaw, or gums can be a sign that the nerve in the middle of the tooth is being affected by decay. Regular dental checkups can help catch these issues early and, in most cases, a simple filling will do. However, once the decay advances it can reach a point where the tooth is not salvageable, and it must be removed. In these cases, a partial denture can replace that missing tooth to maintain proper tooth placement and function.

Missing Teeth

Missing teeth are more than just a cosmetic issue. When a tooth is missing, it puts a tremendous burden on the teeth that remain. This starts a chain reaction where one missing tooth leads to another and another. According to the CDC, an estimated one in five adults over the age of 65 have had all of their teeth removed. Dentures can stop that chain reaction and help to keep the bite and jaw in a healthy position which reduces bone loss and other discomfort from an improper bite.

Problems Chewing

Difficulty eating foods that are hard or chewy may be an indication of significant problems that go far below the tooth’s surface. It could indicate root or even bone issues that require extraction. Dentures are a viable replacement.

Benefits of Wearing Dentures

Renewed Confidence

When your smile is restored your confidence is sure to follow. No more self-conscious wallflower! Dentures give you the freedom to smile without worry.

Eat What You Love

Today’s high quality dentures allow you to eat just about anything that you want. The menu is open!

Younger Face

Missing teeth cause facial muscles to sag, making you look older. Dentures give your mouth and jaw the support it needs to maintain the structure of your face. No more sagging means a more youthful appearance.

Save Money

Dentures allow you to restore your smile at a much more reasonable cost than other tooth replacement solutions. But making them even more cost-effective is the benefit they provide to your overall oral health. Over the long term, dentures can help prevent many expensive tooth and mouth issues.

Prevent Bone Loss

When you lose your teeth, you lose bone as well. Dentures help to lessen the rate of bone deterioration.

Save Existing Teeth

Once you begin to lose teeth, it affects your remaining teeth in catastrophic ways which can include increased erosion of the tooth surface and weakening the root which leads to more missing teeth. Dentures help to balance the load, thus helping to prevent th loss of your existing teeth.

Speak Clearly

Missing teeth can affect the way you speak and pronounce certain words. This can make it difficult for others to understand you. Dentures give you a more natural mouth so you speak more naturally as a result.

Natural Smile

Our high quality dentures are crafted specifically for the patient. We custom design your dentures so that they match your skin tone and gum shade as well as fit your smile to a T. This leaves you with a naturally beautiful smile that you will love to show off.

If you are looking for a dentist in Fairhope AL and are ready to experience the freedom of high quality dentures and get the beautiful smile you deserve, contact us today for a complimentary denture consultation. A member of our team will answer your questions and help you determine if this cost effective tooth replacement option is right for you. Then you’ll really have something to smile about.

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