If your oral health has been less than stellar, you may be missing some, many, or even all of your teeth. It’s easy to assume you’re alone in this condition. Not so much. The Centers for Disease Control beg to differ with your assumption — the CDC says 25 percent of all Americans over the age of 65 are missing all of their teeth.
That will give you a little perspective the next time you’re strolling around Melbourne thinking everyone has healthier teeth than you. What many of the people you pass more likely have is dentures.
At Implant Dentistry of Florida, Dr. Brown and our team fit lots of dentures for our patients from all around the area, so this month let’s make it Denture Month in our Implant Dentistry blog.
What are dentures?
We all have in our minds the scenes from movies and cartoons where the cranky old person takes out his or her dentures and they chomp their way across the table. Truth is, as long as people have lost their teeth due to decay and gum disease, they’ve tried to replace them with artificial sets of teeth — dentures. A full denture is a removable replacement for an entire set of missing teeth (top jaw and/or bottom jaw) and the surrounding tissues. A partial denture, sometimes called a bridge, replaces only a portion of the teeth and can be either removable or fixed.
Dentures are built upon a framework, called a plate, usually made from rigid acrylic resin, flexible nylon polymer, or cobalt metal. When full dentures require an artificial gum line, resin is used because it can be tinted to accurately match the patient’s natural gum color. The artificial teeth are made from acrylic resin or porcelain.
Why would I need dentures? I’m doing fine without.
As detailed above, a quarter of Americans over age 65 have lost all of their teeth, and another sizeable group is missing many teeth. As time has passed and oral health has deteriorated, a person could reach the point where they simply give up, eat basically a soft diet, and avoid smiling in public situations.
But modern dentures shouldn’t make anyone opt for that decreased quality of life. Beyond the capacity to eat foods you used to eat, dentures can return a sense of self-confidence and pride to the wearer. But they’re more than that. Dentures can…
- Give a person back the ability to chew and bite properly.
- Give a person back their self-confidence.
- Allow the person to eat healthier foods such as nuts and fruit again.
- Can give a person back normal speech patterns.
- Improve the wearer’s facial structure.
Modern dentures fit so much better than those of your parents or grandparents. And Dr. Brown has the experience getting the fit just right to ensure you’ll love your new smile. In February’s second blog, we’ll delve deeper into modern dentures and why they could be a great option for you.
Is it time for your regular exam and cleaning? Call us at Implant Dentistry of Florida, (321) 372-7700, and schedule your appointment.