About 35 million Americans have no teeth, and approximately 90% wear dentures. Despite the large number of people who wear dentures, many people still misunderstand them.
Here are some common myths and misconceptions about dentures that we encounter frequently.
Once I Get Dentures, I Won’t Have To See the Dentist Or Take Care of My Mouth
Dentures are slightly more trouble to care for than natural teeth. Cleaning them can take a little more time because you have to clean out the denture and your mouth. You should still see your dentist regularly to check on your mouth and dentures.
Cheap dentures cause problems that your dentist can diagnose and treat, such as sore spots caused by uneven pressure. Some people experience dry mouth when wearing dentures. Others develop oral infections.
All Dentures Are The Same, So I Should Try To Find The Cheapest Ones
Not all dentures are the same, and not all denture dentists are the same. Dentures can be made of many different materials, for example. Some dentures are made entirely of plastic, while others have plastic base material but have ceramic teeth. Denture fitting procedures also vary widely. Some denture dentists fit your dentures only to your gums. Others fit dentures to your mouth. Denture Fountain of Youth® dentists fit your dentures to your entire facial structure, which helps improve function and rejuvenates your appearance.
As some people learn the hard way, it’s not always best to get the cheapest dentures possible.
Dentures Last A Lifetime
Dentures are temporary appliances. Expect dentures to last 5-8 years with proper care. Cheap dentures might last an even shorter time. A poor fit can lead to accelerated wear or create forces that break dentures quickly.
However, even quality dentures can wear out because of the constantly repeated biting and chewing forces.
Dental implants can last a lifetime. Some high-quality implant dentures last 30 years or more in studies but expect that you are likely to replace them at least once in your lifetime, even if you get high-quality dentures.
All Denture Fit Problems Can Be Fixed With A Reline
Denture relines can help with some fit problems, but not all. Denture relines deal with the situation where you had adequately fitting dentures, but your oral tissues shrank because of gum recession. The reline builds up the denture, so it fits as it did initially.
Denture relines can’t help if dentures don’t fit each other or if your dentures are poorly fitted originally. If you want to have properly fitted dentures, it’s important to get them fitted right the first time.
Dentures Always Fall Out When People Talk Or Chew
Cheap dentures will often fall out when talking or chewing, but quality dentures like FOY® Dentures won’t. If you select quality, properly fitting dentures, they will likely be secure and stay in place during most everyday situations.
If you want the most secure dentures, select implant dentures. Implant dentures attach to dental implants. Some of them are screwed to implants, so they can’t be removed, not even by you. Others are removable but fasten more tightly than traditional dentures can attach to gums by suction alone.
I Will Have To Use Denture Adhesive If I Get Dentures
Denture adhesive is a little controversial, but if you get properly fitting dentures, you may not have to use it at all.
Denture adhesive works through a couple of different mechanisms. First, it works similar to glue, but it’s fragile glue. This is good: you want to be able to remove your dentures. Second, denture adhesive helps maintain the seal between your gums and dentures, improving the suction that holds dentures in place.
When dentures fit well, they maintain their seal without denture adhesive. In this case, suction works well enough to hold dentures in place. Many people with FOY® Dentures find the tight fit means they don’t need adhesive at all.
I Can Eat Just Fine Without Dentures
Many foods are difficult, if not impossible, to eat without teeth of any kind. Although some foods can be cooked to be soft, others cannot. Besides, without chewing, it’s a lot harder to enjoy food, which leads people to stop eating a healthy variety of food.
Without dentures or teeth, people are at increased risk for malnutrition and digestive system problems.
I Will Need Dental Implants To Eat Properly
Although dental implants can help secure dentures, studies have shown that people with dental implants don’t necessarily eat better than people with properly fitting dentures. Transitioning people from regular dentures to dental implants doesn’t necessarily lead to improved nutrition.
If you choose cheap dentures, the odds are good that the poor fit will make it hard to eat properly. However, if you have quality dentures with a good fit, you will find that you can eat many foods. Expect to adapt your eating slightly, but you can enjoy most foods even without dental implants with time.
Dentures Make People Smell Bad
Dentures can indeed smell bad, but that’s caused by the same thing that contributes to bad breath: poor oral hygiene. Take care of your dentures, and they won’t cause bad breath.
However, some dentures are more likely to pick up smells. Cheap dentures made with more porous plastic absorb smells in your mouth. These dentures can pick up foul odors that stay with the denture and don’t clean up as a result of regular oral hygiene.
Dentures Make People Look Old
Traditional dentures often made people look old because the teeth are set too far back, leading to a sunken appearance around the mouth. They’re also not usually made tall enough to support your facial tissue, resulting in an even more sunken appearance, plus increased jowls and deep skin folds.
FOY® Dentures are designed to counteract these shortcomings of traditional dentures. They can actually make you look younger.
Have more questions or misconceptions about dentures we haven’t addressed? Please feel free to contact us anytime.
