Below are some of the most frequently asked questions patients have about dental implants, dentistry and oral health issues. If you have any other questions we would love to hear from you.
Click on a question below to see the answer.
Over time, your ridges will naturally shrink as the bone recedes and supporting tissues change. This change will be more rapid with some patients than with others and is affected by the condition of your health and the protective care of your ridges. When this resorption progresses to the point where your dentures are too loose, or your facial appearance starts to change for the worse, it's time to have your dentures rebased, relined, or remade.
At least once a year, your should make an appointment with your dentist for a thorough examination of your entire mouth. Such an examination provides your dentist with an opportunity to correct any problems that may have appeared due to natural and progressive changes in your oral structures that can cause shifting of the dentures, undue pressure on supporting ridges, or damage to oral structures and bony projections.
This step is crucial to maintaining correct alignment of your dentures as well as good oral health and healthy ridges. At that time, we also recommend an annual oral cancer screening. In addition, regular professional cleaning
Wearing the same dentures for more than 3 years can cause changes in your mouth that are often irreversible. For instance, a bad fitting denture can cause the ridges to shrink faster. Therefore, the denture becomes loose. In that case, it then becomes that more difficult to fit future dentures.
This should be no surprise! Would you expect clothes, that you wore all day, everyday, to last 20 years? Even if they do, there would definitely be considerable wear and tear. Certainly, they would not fit in the same way they once did. You should expect no less from your dentures!
The gums and ridges of your mouth change over time while dentures do not.
A denture cannot do its job properly for more than 3 years.
Unnatural looking dentures or "Chicklet" teeth that are all the same color can be a tell-tale sign that a person is wearing a denture. The same is true with overly dark teeth. Other signs are flat teeth, "picket fence" teeth, too much gum, too much teeth or not enough teeth showing.
Dentures can look natural with the right denturist and dental lab producing your dentures.
A denture that doesn't fit or teeth that don't function effectively can make it difficult to chew food properly. As a result, many nutritious and harder-to-chew foods may be eliminated from the diet. In these cases, digestion and overall good health are affected.
Inferior denture teeth can wear excessively. This "shortening" of the teeth leads to a shortening of the face. That will increase the wrinkles around your mouth, cheeks and chin. The end result? You look older. Over time, the ridge tissue will shrink, no longer supporting the denture like it should. An unstable denture can make the ridges shrink even more and at a faster rate. New dentures can replace the worn ridges, lenghthing and straightening your face, making you look and feel younger but it is still only a temporary solution.