You take care of your teeth, but you never know when something could happen so that you don’t have some or all of your teeth anymore. This can happen due to illness, an accident or other reasons, that is when you might consider getting dentures.

Dentures should be considered mainly for two reasons – gingivitis or many dental cavities. When it comes to periodontal disease, the jaw’s bone loss is so bad that it’s not possible to save your teeth and they’re usually really loose. With cavities in the teeth, there is so much decay that they have to be taken out.

Below are some tips if you have to get dentures, from choosing a dentist to things to expect to care for your dentures.

Tips for Choosing a Dentist

When you are looking for your dentist to look at your teeth and possibly fit you with some dentures, it’s important to be selective. Below are four aspects to consider:

  • Experience – You should choose someone who is regularly making dentures.
  • Prosthodontist – This specialist will go through three more years worth of training when it comes to dental prosthetics. The dentist is going to be well-versed when it comes to prosthetics which are removable, which means that you are likely going to feel much more comfortable and fit better.

How to choose your dentist

  • Convenient location – You are going to have a lot of appointments, so you want to choose one that is close to where you live or work. You’re going to need some regularly follow up appointments. You should expect to need adjustments due to sore spots when you have your dentures for the first several weeks.
  • Cost – You shouldn’t go with the lowest price when it comes to your dentures. Dentures that are well-made will cost over $2,000 for each arch. There are some dentists that are offering dentures that only cost $300 to $400 but they’re often going to be made poorly and fit poorly, which means you’re going to be uncomfortable and have sores.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Dentures

Just like with almost any type of dental procedure, choosing to get some dentures have advantages and disadvantages. Below are both sides of the argument.

Advantages

  • If you are missing some or even all of the teeth in your mouth, they’re often more affordable than implants.
  • They are often more aesthetically pleasing and attractive than natural teeth
  • If they’re correctly built as well as fitted, they can improve your lip and cheek support so that your profile is more pleasing.

Disadvantages

  • Although they’re unable to get cavities, dentures are still going to make your daily life more challenging.
  • They don’t chew like natural teeth and it’s even more difficult because of their chewing ability’s 75% less.
  • You may not taste food the way that you can when you are using your natural teeth.
  • Dentures often need replacing every 5 years or so.

Finding problems with dentures

There are some problems that can happen with dentures and it’s important to consult with the dentist to have them fixed. Below are some common problems that happen with dentures.

  • Dentures that don’t fit well – If your dentures aren’t staying in place and are excessively moving around in your mouth or falling, they can cause inflammation or pain in your gums. Dentures that don’t fit well also means that food will become trapped between your dentures and gums which can lead to a fungal infection.
  • Pain – Pain and discomfort are very common when you first have your dentures. You should give yourself some time to adjust to removing, inserting and wearing the dentures.
  • Bad breath – When your dentures aren’t properly cleaned, they often have a bad smell.

Denture care

Caring for your dentures is going to require a lot more than simply dropping the dentures into water overnight, so you want to speak with the dentist for some tips about how you can care for the dentures you have. Below are some tips that you can use no matter what dentures you are using.

  • Gently brush them, even if you’re using one of the ultrasonic cleaners which will dislodge food using sound waves, brushing them gently daily with a brush with soft bristles is a good idea. There are brushes made especially for dentures and they can help with removing plaque and food. This will also help with preventing permanent stains. But make sure it’s a brush with soft bristles since ones with hard bristles can damage your dentures.
  • Make sure you’re rinsing them following every meal. When you’re wearing partial dentures, you should remove the dentures and then clean them before you’re cleaning the natural teeth in your mouth.

The majority of cleaning solutions that you can buy over-the-counter are exactly the same. But it’s also possible to clean dentures in some other ways.

  • Use dishwashing liquid that is mild or hand soap for washing your dentures. Household cleaners or toothpaste is too rough.
  • Don’t use bleach since it can whiten your dentures’ pink parts.
  • When removing your dentures, make sure you’re standing over a folded hand or bath towel or a sink filled with water. This will help with preventing damage to your dentures if you accidentally drop them.
  • Put them in some cold water, rather than boiling or hot, when you aren’t wearing them. This will help with keeping them moist and preventing their shape from changing.

These are some of the things you should expect when you are getting dentures for the first time. Dentures can help you feel better about yourself and fill in the gaps left by missing teeth. If you think that you might need dentures, consult your dentist and see what they suggest for you. You may be embarrassed about needing them at first, but you aren’t alone. Just think about being able to eat the food that you love and being able to smile back at people who are smiling at you each and every day.