In the past few years, implant dentistry has acquired more knowledge, methods and materials that make the entire procedure succesful. Dental implants look, feel and function better. However, with all the achievements on artificial teeth, there is still nothing better or as good as your natural teeth. The chewing efficiency of those with artificial teeth is 20% less than those who use their natural teeth.
Lower complete dentures are harder to wear than upper dentures. Dentures stay in place because of suction and muscle control. However lower dentures are more challenging to control than upper dentures because it has less stable tissue. The key to hold the denture in place is for the wearer to control their dentures with their tongue so as not to move the dentures while speaking or chewing. Therefore tongue coordination is vital. One must be able to control their tongue well so they can hold their dentures in place and avoid discomfort and embarassing situations.
Tooth loss is inevitable. The reasons may vary but one thing is for sure, tooth is removed. When this happens, the residual bone that supported the uprooted tooth, will shrink. The shrinkage is expected to happen fast within the first hear when the tooth was removed. Wearing dentures will hasten this. As expected, the shrinkage of the jawbone will affect the fit of the dentures and because of this, they need to be replaced or adjusted after six to ten years. When the dentures are adjusted to fit the gum tissue, this procedure is called reline.
Wearing dentures are not for everyone. Some people, no matter how long they wear their dentures never get used to it. For some it’s a matter of not having enough bone to support a denture or not developing the right muscle coordination to manage the dentures. However before, the best thing that dental teams can do is to use denture adhesive.
But modern dentistry has given us dental implants. Even if there are only two missing teeth, you can have dental implants and you can improve your artificial teeth’s functionality by atleast 70%. Above all, dental implants can give you comfort, ease and security.
