Dentures Options and Care Tips

For edentulous patients (those who have lost all natural teeth), dentures are still the go-to procedure for restoring the appearance of a healthy smile and the function delivered by strong teeth. However, modern dental techniques allow Drs. Steven and Michelle Okamoto to customize treatment to meet your expectations.

If you are in need of dentures to restore your smile, consider the following treatment options and how you can keep your smile healthy with your new teeth:

Traditional or Fixed Dentures?

Dental implants are touted as a revolutionary way to replace teeth, and they do provide significant benefits, but some patients are simply uninterested or do not wish to complete the surgical component of implant treatment. For many patients, removable traditional dentures serve them well, while others may struggle with their prosthetics.  Take the following into consideration when choosing which teeth replacement option will provide best comfort and function:

Missing all Teeth in a Top Arch – Though traditional dentures are held in place with temporary adhesive only, denture patients often have more success with upper dentures. With these top prosthetics, there is a component that covers the palate and helps to keep replacement teeth stable through creating suction. Though some patients find this portion of the denture to restrict taste, it’s an important part of keeping teeth in place and providing for a higher success rate.

Bottom Dentures- Comprehensive tooth loss on the bottom jaw arch tends to be the most problematic. While removable dentures can be used here as well, patients often report more issues with these replacement teeth, as there is less suction to hold them in place.  Because of this, and because bottom dentures are an important part of supporting chewing function, they often slip and slide out of place or become loose after consistent wear and use. For those patients, just a few dental implants can create the comfort and stability needed to ensure that their smile is functional and feels more natural.

Taking Care of your New Teeth

It’s important to remove your dentures each night and soak them while you sleep, so that they do not become dry and do not trap bacteria and debris that can cause bad breath. It’s also suggested that you brush your dentures with a soft bristled tooth brush before you soak them to keep them as clean as possible.  Be careful not to use toothpaste when cleaning your dentures and not to damage them by using a brush with bristles that are too hard.

If your denture is removable, but held in place with implants, you can follow the same care steps as listed above. If you’ve selected to receive dentures that are permanently affixed and removable only at our dental office, you will need to be diligent about cleaning under your prosthetic with a device like a waterpik.

Undecided about which denture treatment best fits your needs? Contact our Torrance prosthodontist for more information about removable and fixed dentures.