What You Need to Know About Dentures

A few weeks ago, a close friend of mine emailed me an interesting news article about an old, obsolete federal law that makes it illegal to transport dentures across state lines. The story gives you an image of people removing their dentures at the state border for inspection, or at the very least makes you raise your eyebrows.

According to PolitFact, the law was put on the books in 1942 and was developed to protect patients from being taken advantage of by non-licensed dentists selling bad dentures. The intent of the law is great, but the legislation is superfluous and will likely be taken off the books soon.

We can all shake our heads at an outdated law, but we can also learn something from it: Bad dentures can be damaging to your oral health and overall health. This week I want to give you two blogs about the dangers of bad dentures and then provide options for how you can repair your smile and get back to eating the food you love.

The Honest Truth About Dentures

There is nothing quite like your natural teeth. Though we can come very close to replicating the function and appearance of a natural tooth, nothing in dentistry can match the real thing. But as much as I love seeing patients with a natural, healthy smile, I still love giving people the smile they deserve and restoring function. And in our great state of Texas, we have thousands of people struggling with missing teeth. Some people are missing a few teeth, while others are in dentures.

Some dentists will tell you that dentures are the ONLY WAY to restore function to your mouth, but that’s not true. Our office uses dental implants that act as anchors for great-looking permanent teeth. Our dental implants are made from titanium and naturally fuse to the tooth.

I’ve seen our dental implants work wonders for people with missing teeth, but dental implants are not for everyone. The biggest hurdle is that dental implants are expensive, and you must have good bone amounts and be in good overall health to receive them.

Here’s a situation I see a lot: A patient has their teeth removed and is fitted for dentures. The patient is happy with their dentures. With the new dentures, the patient looks great and can eat fine. But in no time at all, the honeymoon is over. Patients soon find out they cannot eat the food they love and have trouble keeping their dentures in their mouths.

So, what happens? Why is it only a matter of time before patients are ready to toss their dentures in the trash? Well, the biggest problem is that dentures are not fixed to your jawbone, which limits your biting force. Studies show that denture-wearers biting power can be as poor as 25 percent of the force of natural teeth. At the same time, without fixed teeth, your jawbone begins to recede, which changes the shape of your face. Have you ever noticed how denture-wearers often have a sunken in look? It’s because their jawbone is deteriorating.

The only way to maintain a comfortable fit with removable dentures is to have them realigned or adjusted over time. You also need to visit our office for regular cleanings, because you can still have problems with gum disease or oral health.

Visit Us Today

If you’re having trouble with your removable dentures or need to schedule a visit with us, call the office today at 972-380-8105 to schedule your visit. We have more than one option to restore your smile. Come back on Friday, Jan. 22 to see how we can restore your teeth using the power of dental implants! If you have missing teeth or can’t stand your dentures, you’ll want to hear this message.