Dentures in Arundel ME

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Who Is a Good Candidate for Dentures?

Dentures are designed to replace several or even all of the teeth along the top or bottom row. For people missing just one or only a few teeth, a dental bridge or dental implant crown is the better solution. One of the advantages of traditional dentures is that they can be made and placed relatively quickly without the need for surgery, meaning you won’t have to wait long to reclaim your smile and bite.

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Types of Dentures in Arundel ME

Tooth loss is different for every patient as is the shape of their mouth. That’s why we offer multiple options to choose from, and we’ll go over each of them at your initial consultation so you can select the version that best suits your situation.

Partial Dentures

• Held in place using small clasps that loop around neighboring natural teeth, partial dentures are designed to fill multiple gaps like the missing piece of a puzzle. They are highly versatile and specially made for each patient

Full Dentures

• For patients missing all of their teeth on the top, bottom, or both, a full denture can bring back an entire dental arch at the same time. It sits directly on the gums and stays secure thanks to natural suction and perhaps some denture adhesive.

Implant Dentures

• Once in place, implant dentures look like the other two options listed above, but what makes them special lies below. With these, the teeth are rooted to the jawbone using small titanium posts that mimic the underlying structure of natural teeth. This prevents the prosthetic from slipping and also restores most of a patient’s bite force. Basically, they feel the closest to real teeth.

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The Benefits of Dentures

• Improved appearance and more daily confidence
• Increased height of the face for a more attractive look
• Fewer wrinkles because the lips and cheeks are supported
• Lower risk of gum infection and oral pain
• Ability to eat a wider variety of foods
• Better nutrition that leads to better overall health
• Clearer speech
• Balanced bite that prevents jaw pain/headaches

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How Will My Mouth Feel With Dentures

As with anything we use on a regular basis such as spectacles or braces, there will be an adjustment period with dentures where they will feel strange and foreign. You may feel like you have a “full mouth.” There may be a hyperawareness of your lips being pushed forward; you may even feel like your teeth are too big and taking up too much space in your mouth. Your mouth, sensing that there is something inside, will likely mistake this to mean there is food present, and you may salivate more at first.

These feelings will eventually subside after about 14 days as your mouth adjusts to the new dentures. During this initial adjustment period, you may be advised to wear the dentures all the time, only taking them out for cleaning. Once the adjustment period is over, your dentist will consult with you on an appropriate time to remove your dentures for long periods of time to give your gums a rest. Normally this would be at night when it’s time to sleep.

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Will Dentures Affect My Speech

If you’ve ever had the experience of wearing braces, then you know there was also an adjustment period where your speech patterns were affected. So, the answer here is “yes, at first.” The most likely phonetics to be affected at first will be “S,” “Sh,” “Th” and “Ch” sounds. This is because your tongue is now in a slightly different position from what you are used to. There may also be a new whistling or hissing sound that accompanies your speech.

Regular speaking will eventually retrain you to regain proper pronunciation of words. However, if you’d like to speed up this process, then either read out loud to yourself for a few days or be aggressive about a conversation in the initial days after you receive your dentures. You will eventually adjust to the differences, compensate, and speak normally.

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How Will Dentures Affect Eating

In most cases, dentures will ultimately not affect your eating habits, but some retraining will be required. Some people adjust to eating with dentures after a few weeks. Others may take up to six months to feel comfortable. However, any food that requires hard biting down with the front teeth, such as corn on the cob, or an apple may always present some challenges.

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As with any new addition to your daily living habits, practice will eventually lead to comfort and mastery of your new dentures. But if you have any specific questions or concerns about their use and care, you should always refer them to your dentist and get some reliable, professional advice. Contact our team at Arundel Family Dentistry today for more information.