If you've suffered for many years with dental problems or may have lost quite a few of your original teeth, you may be assessing your options. If matters have progressed to a certain stage, the discussion may turn to dentures, but these days, you have many different solutions and can avoid some of those long-held worries. What options can you consider that may allow you to function as normal even as the process unfolds?
Conventional Dentures
Many years ago, you may have been presented with just one solution—full dentures. In this case, all your existing teeth would be removed before the dentist would then take custom measurements within the mouth to create a full denture just for you. In this case, the oral tissue would take quite a lot of time to heal before the new denture could be inserted. It would not be unusual to wait for months at a time, and it would have been very difficult to function without any teeth.
Immediate Full Dentures
Thankfully, there are other options now. It may be possible to choose immediate full dentures, which is obviously preferable from an anaesthetic and functionality point of view. Certainly, the new denture could take a few weeks to "bed in", and you'd need to give yourself some time to get used to the new situation. Still, the dentist can manufacture a replacement that will be similar in nature to the texture, colour or shape of your natural teeth, if any still remain.
With this type of denture, you will have to return to the dentist in due course so that the denture can be realigned. After all, your gums may change to a certain extent as they heal from the initial procedure.
Implant-Supported Dentures
Perhaps an even better solution will be a set of dentures that are supported by implants. This is a more modern approach where titanium posts are implanted into the jaw at strategic locations. The dentures will then be affixed to these implants and fit very well. This approach will also help stimulate the jawbone and surrounding tissue, which can help maintain the shape and feel of the mouth. Again, this process does not take as long as the old-fashioned approach and has a great success rate as well.
What's Best For You?
Talk with your dentist about your options. They will go into detail about each procedure and suggest the best solution for your particular case.
Contact a local dentist for more info about dentures.
