Tooth loss is common in people of all ages. Young and old lose teeth for various reasons, including accidents and failure to practice good oral hygiene. Your teeth play a vital role. They help you chew, bite, and brighten your smile. Doing all these things with some or all your teeth missing is challenging. That is why dentists recommend tooth restorations like dentures.
Dentures are removable tooth restorations made from acrylic, plastic, metal, or nylon. They are designed to fit snugly over the gum to replace a lost tooth. They function, appear like natural teeth, and are easy to clean. However, you only need them when you lose one or more teeth.
Your dentist will recommend dentures after examining your teeth and gums. Here are some of the indications that you need dentures:
You Are Uncomfortable With Your Smile
It is difficult to smile comfortably and confidently when some of your teeth are damaged or missing. People with missing or damaged teeth hide their smiles for fear of what other people will think of them. Healthy teeth give you confidence, even to socialize. If you start feeling uncomfortable with your smile due to damaged or missing teeth, it could be time to discuss it with your dentist.
Dentures are excellent restorations for missing or damaged teeth. They appear and function like natural teeth, restoring your confidence to smile. If your teeth are severely damaged, your dentist will recommend extraction and restore them using dentures.
Dentists can customize dentures to feel and look exactly like your natural teeth. Though they do not appear like natural teeth, you will enjoy a functional mouth after the replacement. Additionally, your experience will improve regarding how you appear with a complete set of functional teeth.
However, you must wait for your gums to heal before wearing dentures after tooth extraction. If you already have missing teeth, your dentist can immediately create dentures. But if you have an underlying problem that requires treatment before restoration, your dentist will first take care of it.
With proper care, dentures can last a very long time. This means you will enjoy a beautiful smile for that long and no longer worry about missing or damaged teeth.
You Sometimes Experience Indigestion
Indigestion occurs for various reasons, the first being a failure to chew food properly. This is a common problem for people with missing or severely damaged teeth. When your teeth are not functioning as they should, you tend to swallow your food before properly chewing it, causing you to swallow larger pieces of food than your body can digest.
If you frequently experience indigestion, mention it to your dentist during your next visit. They will examine your teeth and gums to determine whether you have oral problems causing the indigestion. If some or all of your teeth are missing or damaged, your dentist can recommend replacing them with dentures to restore their functionality.
Dentures are an inexpensive way to restore damaged and missing teeth. Dentures could be the proper restoration if you need help but are on a strict budget. After restoration, you can chew your food as you should, making it easier for the digestive system. Dentures will also correct any bite issues you could have developed due to the missing or damaged teeth. You can comfortably enjoy your meals after the restoration and not experience digestion-related problems in the future.
You Experience Difficulties Eating Some Foods
If you are having trouble eating some foods, it could be because some of your teeth are missing. Chewing becomes difficult when you have missing teeth, especially the molars. Your dentist will recommend dentures for the missing teeth to improve how you eat and ensure you enjoy all your favorite foods.
You could also be experiencing problems eating some foods because some of your teeth are damaged. Your teeth could be damaged because of cavities or accidents. Dentists can fix some damaged teeth. But if your teeth are severely damaged, your dentist can recommend extraction and restoration. Dentures are easy to make, cost-friendly, strong, and easy to wear and remove. They will serve the purpose well, making it easier to enjoy your food with minimal difficulties.
Another reason you could be experiencing difficulties eating some foods is that you have a severe oral problem, like gum disease. Gum disease occurs when your gums become inflamed and infected due to tartar and calculus buildup. This causes your gum pockets to widen more, exposing your teeth’s underlying structures. Biting and chewing can become painful, and eating can be impossible once your teeth start falling off.
Your dentist will first recommend treatment for gum disease. If some of your teeth' underlying structures are severely damaged, they could require extraction. Dentures will replace the missing teeth and your ability to eat without pain or difficulties.
One or More of Your Teeth Are Missing
You could need dentures if you have missing teeth. If you have lost your teeth due to an accident, severe damage, or gum disease, you could need an immediate replacement to enjoy the restored facial appearance and functionality of all your teeth. It is advisable to start discussing your tooth replacement options immediately after losing them to avoid experiencing problems like a bad bite and an impacted smile resulting from missing teeth.
Be sure to go for a restoration before you start having problems due to missing teeth. Some people wait until they experience a terrible bite-related problem to start looking for teeth restoration. Once you have a missing tooth, your remaining teeth will shift to occupy the space left by the missing teeth, causing you a bad bite. A bad bite will cause problems when eating, speaking, or sleeping.
Dentures offer a quick solution to missing teeth. You can replace one or many missing teeth using dentures. Since they are created in the dentist’s lab, your dentist can customize them to fit your teeth’s appearance and the gap left by the missing teeth. You will never experience problems with missing teeth if you wear dentures immediately after losing a tooth.
You Are Experiencing Severe Toothaches
A toothache indicates that something is wrong with your teeth or gums. Toothaches start mildly and intensify as the underlying problems escalate. A cavity will not be painful in its onset but will be painful once it starts widening or deepening. When you experience a severe toothache, it means that the problem is more serious and requires immediate intervention.
Whether or not you need dentures depends on the cause of your severe toothache. People who experience severe toothaches due to an advanced cavity will require dental restoration sooner rather than later. When a cavity is left untreated, it becomes infected, and the infection spreads to your tooth’s underlying structures. If much of the affected tooth is damaged, your dentist will extract it and perform a root canal to stop the infection.
If a severe toothache results in tooth loss, you will need immediate tooth replacement to continue enjoying a fully functional mouth. Immediate replacement will keep your remaining teeth in place so you can continue enjoying a perfect bite. Dentures are a quick fix, taking a short time to make and install. You can wear dentures before saving enough money for a significant dental restoration procedure, like dental implants.
You Have Loose, Shifting, or Spacious Teeth
Your teeth can become loose after an accident or a severe blow to the face. Loose teeth will not serve you well, especially if you need them strong for biting or chewing. A loose tooth is also a perfect breeding ground for dangerous bacteria. If part of your gum where the tooth should fit is exposed, some foods you eat can remain stuck there, resulting in inflammation and infection. If dentists cannot fix loose teeth, they recommend immediate extraction to avoid possible oral problems like gingivitis and gum disease. You can wear a denture after extraction to continue enjoying the functionality and appearance of all your teeth.
If you have gaps between your teeth or your teeth have shifted due to a missing tooth gap you have had for a very long time, consider a restoration. Shifting teeth will affect your facial appearance, speech, eating, and smile. Dentures can restore your shifted teeth to their original positions on the gums, restoring your beautiful smile. Dentures will also fix the excess spaces between your teeth that could be causing you a bad bite and related problems. The spaces could have resulted from shifting teeth due to prolonged periods of not replacing missing teeth.
You Have Suffered a Serious Tooth Injury
If you have been in an accident, and one or more of your teeth have suffered a severe injury, you can quickly restore it using a denture. You do not have to endure the pain associated with severely damaged teeth. Additionally, you do not have to live with missing teeth gaps after losing some of your teeth to an accident. You can quickly replace the damaged teeth with dentures. Then, no one will even know that you lost some of your teeth in the accident. Since dentures are inexpensive and quick to fix, you do not have to deal with all the problems associated with missing teeth after an accident.
You Need Tooth Replacement on a Budget
Tooth replacement is generally costly. This explains why many people wait long after losing their teeth before finding a replacement. But dentists offer tooth replacement options for all budgets. Some people can comfortably afford dental implants, dental crowns, and dental bridges for missing teeth. Others need to make more to afford tooth replacements. But remember that tooth replacement is highly beneficial to keep your mouth functional and your smile bright. Missing teeth will affect your speech. How you eat and your appearance. You should speak to your dentist about your financial concerns to learn about your options.
If you are working on a strict budget, your dentist can recommend dentures instead of other expensive alternatives. You can replace one, many, or all of your teeth with dentures on a budget. For example, you can pay as little as $1000 for complete dentures or $700 for partial dentures. Those dentures can remain solid and functional if you take good care of them after installation. You will not need to pay an additional amount for maintenance and replacement soon after installation.
You Need to Improve Your Bite Function
Your bite is determined by how well your teeth come together when you bite down. Your bite must be perfect or even. The upper and lower teeth must fit perfectly with each other. However, this only sometimes happens, which is why many people experience dental and oral problems.
A bad bite will affect how you eat and what you eat. If your molars do not fit perfectly when you bite down, you will face difficulties chewing your food or eating some food. Eating difficulties can result in nutrient deprivation and digestion issues.
A bad bite also affects how you speak. If your front teeth come together ideally, pronouncing some words will be easier. That will affect your speech and self-esteem.
A bite problem can occur for several reasons, including missing teeth. If you lost some of your teeth and did not replace them immediately, your remaining teeth would shift to occupy the gap. That could be the reason for your bad bite. The gap left by missing teeth also causes significant bite issues.
But you can solve those problems with dentures. Dentures will replace the missing teeth and help realign your teeth' positions. Then, your bite will be perfect once again.
Find a Competent Dentist Near Me
Replacing missing or severely damaged teeth is necessary to continue enjoying fully functional teeth and a beautiful smile. However, most dental restoration procedures are costly and invasive. Consider dentures if you need a quicker, less invasive, and inexpensive way to replace missing teeth. However, a dentist must first examine you to determine whether you need dentures and if you are a good candidate.
We offer quality, timely, affordable, and professional dental services at Lasting Impressions Dental Spa. We can examine your teeth and gums in Encino to determine if you need dental restorations and if dentures suit you. Call us at 818-751-5100 to discuss your dental needs and our services further.
