Dentures are an excellent choice for restoring missing or severely damaged teeth. However, they offer benefits and have disadvantages, which you should understand before making the final decision. An experienced dentist should be able to provide all the information you need after recommending dentists so you can decide whether to have them or to go for another treatment option. They will also ensure you understand the treatment process and what to expect after having dentures.
In this guide, we will discuss the pros and cons of dentures and provide information to help you make an informed decision.
A Brief Overview of Dentures
When you visit your dentist with one or multiple missing teeth or severely damaged teeth, they will recommend immediate restoration. This protects your adjacent teeth and jawbone and restores your smile, confidence, and tooth function. There are several ways to restore missing teeth in California today. A dentist will mention your options and guide you through the decision-making process. It helps to understand all the pros and cons of the options given to you to make a practical choice.
Dentures are customized, removable, prosthetic devices that dentists use to replace missing teeth. They are designed to look, feel, and function just like natural teeth. Thus, they can restore the lost oral function, help you speak better after tooth loss, and restore your facial appearance. Dentists make dentures from acrylic resin, or sometimes combine it with metal or porcelain. You can get a partial denture to replace some teeth, or a complete denture to replace all teeth in one jaw.
Replacing your teeth immediately after tooth loss is critical, as it prevents adjacent teeth from shifting into the gap left by the missing tooth. If this happens, you could develop a bad bite and all the problems associated with it, including TMJ disorders. Restoring teeth also restores your speech, smile, and confidence. You protect the jawbone from bone loss, which may weaken the firm anchorage of your remaining teeth.
When you choose to have dentures after losing one or more teeth, your dentist will explain what to expect after treatment. They will explain the pros, cons, and the treatment process. They will also guide you on caring for your dentures to ensure long-term service.
The Benefits of Having Dentures
Losing teeth affects your smile and may change your facial structure, especially if you delay replacing them. It also affects your confidence and could limit the foods you can eat. Dentures give you an effective and direct solution for restoring your smile, confidence, and facial appearance. It gives you back the lost chewing, biting, or speaking functionality. Here are some of the benefits you should know when considering dentures for your tooth restoration:
They Are Affordable
Dentures are generally affordable, giving you a quick solution to your missing teeth without putting a strain on your finances. In Anaheim, they cost $700 per arch for traditional dentures and $ 1,000 for complete dentures. This makes them more affordable than popular tooth-restoration options, such as dental implants, which can cost up to $4,500 per tooth.
While the initial cost of dentures is relatively affordable, you should plan to replace or reline them after a few years of use. Over time, dentures become loose or snug, especially when your jaw changes. This will affect how you eat and speak. It may also affect your smile and confidence, especially if the changes in how they fit are easily visible to others.
Typically, dentures have a lifespan of about five to ten years. This means you must incur an additional cost after a few years of receiving dentures.
The Treatment Process is Non-Invasive
Many people become anxious or stressed when they have to undergo an invasive dental procedure. It explains why some people avoid dental offices until a minor problem becomes a major one. Non-invasive treatments are highly sought-after, especially if they offer immediate benefits. If you experienced severe pain before or after losing a natural tooth, you may want a non-invasive treatment to replace it. This is where dentures come in.
Minimal preparation is needed for your teeth, gums, or dentures. The dentist will only take impressions of the gap left by the missing teeth to create dentures that will fit perfectly. They will also take impressions of the adjacent teeth to ensure they develop dentures that match your other natural teeth.
However, the treatment process requires several visits to the dentist’s office. If your tooth is severely damaged, you could need an extraction first, before receiving a denture. You need another appointment for the dentist to discuss your needs and to develop a treatment plan. The dentist will take impressions of your teeth on that day. It may take a few days or weeks for the dentures to be ready, after which you will return to the dentist’s office for fitting and adjustments.
Thus, although the treatment process is non-invasive, it could be lengthy.
They Offer Immediate Comfort and Functionality
Dentures can be used immediately after receiving them. Once the lengthy treatment process is complete, you can finally smile confidently and enjoy a restored facial appearance. Also, you can chew comfortably, although the dentist will advise you to start with soft to medium-hard foods. Dentures restore more teeth functionality immediately after receiving them.
However, if you love hard, sticky, or chewy foods, your dentist will ask you to slow down on them. Hard foods can weaken and eventually damage your dentures. Sticky foods can affect the suction element of your dentures, causing slippage that can affect your speech, chewing, and biting.
Also, it may take a while to get accustomed to the dentures after placement. Remember that they are prosthetics, which you introduce to your mouth after losing teeth. Before getting used to them, you may experience some discomfort when eating or speaking.
Dentures Maintain Jaw Health
Your jaw health is critical because it serves as the foundation of your oral and overall health. It supports essential daily functions such as breathing, chewing, and speaking. Dentists recommend replacing your missing teeth immediately to protect your jaw health. Dentures are an excellent choice if you need tooth restoration on a budget. They restore your facial appearance, allowing you to smile confidently and chew comfortably. Dentures also give immediate support to your facial muscles, so that you will not have the sunken look after tooth loss.
However, they do not entirely protect you from jawbone loss. When your natural teeth are missing, you also lose the natural stimulation of the jawbone. If you take time to replace the missing tooth, the natural stimulation, which is triggered by chewing, is no longer present. After wearing dentures, your full chewing ability is never restored to avoid damaging the dentures. This may eventually result in jawbone loss. You should discuss with your dentists how to address bone loss after receiving dentures.
Dentures Are Easy to Clean and Maintain
Remember that dentures are removable prosthetics. You can remove them when eating to avoid trapping foods and drinks, which may encourage the growth of cavity-causing bacteria. You can also remove them when brushing and flossing, to ensure you clean the mouth and the dentures well, before wearing them back. This is very important to maintain good oral hygiene.
Dentists recommend removing dentures at night and soaking them to retain their shape. You can soak them in a denture solution or water to keep them moist. Also, you can thoroughly clean them using a soft brush and a non-abrasive denture cleaner to remove any food particles and buildup. This is important for protecting you from cavities and other serious dental issues, such as gum disease.
The Disadvantages of Having Dentures
When choosing the proper treatment for your missing teeth, it helps to weigh the benefits and drawbacks to make an informed decision. After analyzing all the benefits, take time to consider the disadvantages as well, so you know what to expect once you remove the dentures. Here are some disadvantages for your consideration:
Dentures May Cause Gum Irritation
The gums and other tissues in the mouth are soft and sensitive. A new prosthetic tooth replacement, like a denture, can cause irritation and discomfort before you get used to it. When it is still new, it can irritate your soft gum, causing swelling or a sore spot that may take time to heal. Once irritation occurs, the adjustment period can be prolonged, affecting how you feel and your teeth’s function.
If the discomfort or irritation persists for more than two days, speak to your dentist. They can make a few adjustments for a more comfortable fit.
Dentures Can Be Unstable
Remember that dentures are fitted through suction into the gum to cover the gap left by the missing tooth. In most cases, you rely on the suction function to keep the dentures in place when eating, speaking, or laughing. However, this functionality does not always last. In some cases, dentures become unstable almost immediately and start slipping out of position. It worsens over time as your jawbone changes and your dentures become loose. They may slip out when speaking, eating, or socializing, causing severe embarrassment.
Sometimes dentists use an adhesive to achieve a more stable fit. An adhesive is more reliable than suction, but it also loses its effectiveness over time. You should return to your dentist’s office immediately if you notice a change in how your dentures fit so that they can make some adjustments.
They Limit Your Chewing Power
Natural teeth are powerful. If taken care of, you can comfortably eat all types of foods, whether soft or hard. However, when you lose natural teeth and replace them with dentures, your chewing power can be reduced. Since dentures are artificial replacements of your natural teeth, they may not be as powerful as your teeth.
Additionally, dentures are made from a material that can easily break under extreme pressure. Dentists give precautions regarding what and how to eat after receiving them. You must carefully chew and bite on your dentures to avoid damaging them. This could mean giving up on all your favorite hard foods to keep your dentures functional and long-lasting.
Traditional dentures only give you about 30% of your natural teeth’s biting strength. This means you cannot comfortably enjoy sticky or hard foods without risking damage.
They Do Not Eliminate the Risk of Bone Loss
Remember that your jawbone weakens without the continuous stimulation of natural teeth. You strengthen your jawbone every time you bite and chew. However, this stimulation is lost when you lose one or multiple teeth. If you wait to replace missing teeth, the loss can deteriorate quickly. You may need bone grafting to provide proper anchorage for teeth replacement.
Sadly, dentures do not eliminate the risk of bone loss. Although they restore your teeth’s functionality and prevent the adjacent teeth from shifting, you still could lose some of your jawbone density. This is because with dentures, you must minimize your chewing and biting. The reduced pressure from your teeth does not stimulate the jawbone enough to prevent bone loss. Eventually, you may lose a significant amount of jawbone density, which may affect your teeth's function and facial appearance.
They May Affect Your Taste and Speech
Dentures do not always replace the full functionality of your teeth. While they may restore your ability to chew and smile, they may affect your speech and taste. Some people are not able to speak well after receiving dentures, especially before they become accustomed to them. Other people experience taste issues, especially after receiving upper dentures. If your upper dentures cover your palate, you will notice changes in your taste buds.
Some people have also reported that dentures cause a whistling or clicking sound, especially if they do not fit perfectly. This may affect your confidence to socialize.
Dentures Require Intensive Maintenance
Remember that dentures are removable prosthetics. This means that they are removable when eating, cleaning your mouth, and sleeping. Your dentist will give you strict instructions on how to handle your dentures when removing and wearing them. At night, you must soak them to maintain their shape. When cleaning, you must be gentle and ensure you use the right products. After removing them, you must carefully store them to avoid damage.
All this can be overwhelming, even for a grown-up. You may forget one or more of these instructions, and this may result in damaged dentures. A mistake like that is also costly, since you may need to replace them immediately after the damage.
They Increase Your Risk of Oral Infections
Dentures increase your risk of oral infections in several ways. Remember that they may irritate your soft gum tissues, especially in the first days of treatment. An irritation can lead to a sore that, if left untreated, can develop into an infection. If the sore is not adequately cleaned or you fail to practice good oral hygiene, it may become infected, leading to a severe infection that can spread to the mouth and other parts of the body through the bloodstream.
Additionally, you must clean your dentures well to reduce your risk of cavities and gum disease. Uncleaned dentures may become perfect traps for harmful oral bacteria, which may result in cavities and gum disease.
The Bottom-Line
After losing one or multiple teeth, replacing them immediately to protect your remaining teeth and jawbone is critical. However, you must quickly choose a tooth restoration procedure that suits your needs and budget. If you need a non-surgical procedure that offers faster results, you can opt for dentures. They are also affordable and offer almost instant restoration of your teeth’s functionality.
However, dentures are not as strong or long-lasting as dental implants. This means that they could be expensive in the long run. Maintaining them is also tricky.
When choosing dentures for tooth restoration, consider all the benefits and disadvantages. Also, consider the different types of dentures, including full, partial, immediate, flexible, implant-supported, and digital dentures. Consider your needs, preferences, and budget too.
If you need a temporary solution while you save money for a major treatment like dental implants, dentures are the perfect option.
Find Competent Dental Care Services Near Me
Do you or someone you love have missing or severely damaged teeth in Anaheim and need teeth restoration services?
A skilled dentist should be the person to talk to, to understand your needs, treatment options, and the treatment procedure. With so many solutions for missing teeth available, your dentist will ensure you know all of them, including their benefits and disadvantages, to make an informed decision.
We have denture experts at Beach Dental Care Anaheim who are ready to provide all the information you need to make a decision. We have extensive experience dealing with all types of dentures. Thus, we know the benefits and disadvantages to help you decide based on your needs, preferences, and budget. Call us at 714-995-4000 and let us guide and support you until you find the right solution for your needs.
