Downtown Dental Excellence offers Dentures in Cleveland, TX

As we age, our teeth and gums often aren’t what they used to be. You may notice in your later years that your teeth fall out. Even if you are younger, you may lose your teeth due to an accident, or even poor oral hygiene. Whatever the case may be, there is an option for replacing missing teeth—even if all of your teeth are missing. This option is dentures.

Choose Downtown Dental Excellence for your Dentures today. 

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What are Dentures?

Dentures are dental prosthetics that replace missing teeth. This tooth replacement option is very customizable, and can be made to closely resemble your original teeth. They are not attached to the mouth in any way, so they can be easily removed when needed. This allows someone with dentures to remove their false teeth for cleaning, and when they go to bed at night.

Why Would I need Dentures? What are the Benefits?

Dentures are for patients that have lost a large portion—if not all—of their teeth. With them, you can chew your food, speak more clearly and smile once again without being self-conscious.

Due to receding gums, severe tooth decay or an accident, your teeth may need to be pulled. When this is the case, these prosthetics may be your best option.

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Are There Other Tooth Replacement Options?

While dentures are an excellent option for patients that have lost a good portion of their teeth, they are not the only tooth replacement option. Some patients may benefit from tooth implants or a dental bridge to complete any gaps caused by missing teeth. Whether or not a patient is a good candidate for these procedures, though, depends on a variety of factors. For implants, for instance, a patient needs to have a strong jawbone that can handle the rod that is installed.

Speak with your dentist about your replacement options. They may be able to provide you with functioning false teeth instead of dentures. If those options aren’t available, though, dentures may be your only option for teeth replacement.

What are the Different Types?

Generally, there are two main types of dentures: partial and full.

Partial dentures help to fill in gaps where teeth are missing, and actually attach to healthy teeth to hold them in place. This is often done with the help of clasps that allow a wearer to clip their partial dental appliance into place. While they are held in place well, they can also be easily removed.

With partial dentures you will be able to bite and chew some foods easier, and the force of your bite will be distributed much better. They can also be made to match your remaining, healthy teeth. This allows a wearer to continue to smile without people noticing a difference.

Full dentures are needed when there are no teeth remaining. These are also sometimes referred to as standard dentures. They are held in place with suction, instead of being held in place with the help of other teeth or the jawbone. While they don’t allow for the same support as other teeth replacement options, they do still allow for chewing and speaking. They also help to keep facial muscles in place, so they don’t sag over time.

While your dentures are being made, you will likely be given immediate dentures. These are useful for after teeth extraction, until the healing process is complete. Once healing is complete, conventional dentures can be created and placed.

Both options allow the patient to have a full, complete smile, and allow the patient to speak and laugh much like they used to.

What is the Process for Getting Dentures?

The process of getting dentures is multi-faceted, and begins with a discussion with your dentist about your teeth replacement options. If the surrounding teeth and/or jawbone are healthy, other replacement options may be more advantageous. If dentures are the best or only option, your dentist will let you know.

The first step of having the dentures placed is taking dental impressions. This will involve your dentist taking an impression of the remaining teeth (for partial replacements) and gums in order to have appliances created that will fit your particular mouth. If there are teeth that need to be extracted, you will need to wait until the gums are healed before an impression can be made. Your dentist will measure the bite of your teeth using wax rims. This will help them to gauge how to best form the dental appliances to match your bite.

At this point, your dentist will walk you through different, custom teeth options. This is actually pretty exciting for a lot of patients, because it allows them to create the smile that they’ve always wanted. This may include the shape, size and even shade of the teeth. For teeth that replicate your original teeth, consider bringing in pictures to show to the dentist. They will likely also have your dental records on file.

Once the measurements are taken and the teeth are customized, the information will be sent to a lab to have the dentures created. When they return, your dentist will walk you through a trial itting. It is here that minor adjustments can be noted, and can then be made before the final fitting.

The final fitting allows the dentist to ensure that the changes that they’ve made to the fitting are perfect. If a patient is unsure about the fit of their dental appliances, they may schedule a checkup appointment. From there, a patient can express any issues they are having with the fit of the dentures.

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Proper Denture Care

While dentures aren’t your real teeth, they should still be properly cared for. This means keeping them clean in between wearing them. You’ll also want to make sure to keep your gums healthy, as well as any remaining teeth if partial teeth replacements are placed.

Dentures allow you to smile big, chew and speak. They also boost your self-confidence. If your teeth are being pulled or are falling out, speak with your dentist about dentures.