Unfortunately, many people lose one or many teeth before reaching their forties. Patients visit our dentist in SW Calgary for options to replace their teeth and, thanks to modern dentistry, we can offer them multiple options.
Among them, we design the best dentures in SW Calgary. We work with the best dental laboratories for the best fitting and look.
If you are looking for excellent dentures near you, you may read this blog to know the best tips to adapt to them.
What are Dentures?
First of all, what are dentures? Dentures are oral devices that consist of fake teeth over a base of acrylic that resembles the gums. Depending on how many teeth you are missing, they can have all dental pieces or some of them.
Complete Dentures
These are perfect for fully edentulous people. Your doctor will take a mold of your teeth with special putty and send it to a dental laboratory for your dentures. In the meantime, they may place temporary ones.
In a second appointment, they will evaluate the fitting. You must speak and bite to see if you feel comfortable with your dentures or if these need adjustments.
These dentures obtain their retention through suction, which is why they must fit snuggly. If they retain excellently, you may go home with your new dentition!
Partial Dentures
If you have some remaining healthy teeth, you can opt for partial dentures. These have some metallic clasps for gripping onto your dental pieces and gain better security.
The procedure to make them is similar to the complete ones. Your doctor will drill small holes on the chewing surface of specific teeth, where the metallic parts will rest for retention. They will take the mold, and a dental technician will manufacture them.
Another type of partial denture has flexible clasps instead of metal ones. They are more aesthetic and still retain pretty good.
Tips for Adjusting to Your Dentures
Whether you have complete or partial ones, here are some recommendations to pass the learning curve:
1. Practice
As they say, practice makes perfect. We suggest reading or singing out loud for more eloquence. In the beginning, you may struggle to pronounce some letters; after some time, you will speak comfortably.
2. Cut Your Food
We suggest cutting your food into small pieces for eating more comfortably. Also, moistening the food in different sauces will make it easier to chew.
3. Give Your Mouth a Break
Wearing complete or partial dentures 24/7 is a mistake. Give your gums a break to avoid irritation and mouth sores. We recommend removing it at bedtime.
4. Clean Your Dentures
Once a day, brush your dentures with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a mild soap or non-abrasive toothpaste. Regular toothpaste damages them. And, when you remove them before bedtime, soak them in water or dentures cleaning solution to keep them moist. It will help to preserve them and maintaining them in good condition.
5. Keep Up With Dental Checkups
By visiting a dentist near you regularly, you will be able to explain to them if you feel any discomfort with your dentures.
The first dentures checkup should be a month later; then, three months later. Finally, one time every six months.
All patients should keep up with their biannual checkups, but even more, if they underwent prosthetic treatment.
In each appointment, your doctor will evaluate the condition of your dentures and determine if they need an adjustment or repair. The average life of them is from five to seven years. It will vary depending on the care you give to them and the materials used.