Anyone can experience tooth loss at any age. That doesn’t mean you have to live with it and go on not being able to smile or talk the way you want to. If you are still young, you might feel unsure about getting replacement teeth. However, knowing that you need them and worrying about how your smile looks may be even more stressful.
DENTURES WHEN YOU ARE YOUNG… WHY NOT?
Whether you believe it or not, there may be more people around you in your age group who are wearing dentures than you think. Gum disease and tooth decay are the most common causes behind tooth loss in young people. They may also suffer from such dental abnormalities as ectodermal dysplasia. Sometimes, tooth erosion may also be the result of gastrointestinal reflux which causes stomach acid to rise up to one’s mouth. When tooth erosion becomes severe, dentures may also be needed.
No matter what the cause of the problem is, dentures can provide you with a long-term solution without any pain. After a certain period of adjustment, you can continue with your usual diet and lifestyle while enjoying an attractive smile again.
DENTURE FITTING
Younger patients are more sensitive about how they look when they have their dentures fitted. There’s nothing to worry about, though. Your dentist can present you with treatment options so there’s nothing for you to be embarrassed about. Upon having your permanent teeth removed, your dentist will ask you to wait for several months until your gums have changed shape before you can have your permanent dentures.
While waiting, you can choose to wear immediate dentures or to go with no teeth for a while. Immediate dentures, which are fitted directly right after your tooth extraction, can save you from a toothless period which can be awkward if not inconvenient. When your gums have adjusted, you can return to your dentist to have the dentures relined so they would fit the new shape of your mouth.
Regular lower mouth dentures are not as secure as the upper mouth ones. If you fear that they’ll slip or other people may notice and comment about it, you may choose to have implant-supported dentures. For this type, your dentist would surgically insert an implant into your jawbone. This will hold your denture in place tightly. However, this process would take a few months. You also need to have sufficient jawbone for this treatment.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT ONCE YOU HAVE DENTURES ON
At first (it may take a few weeks or months), you might feel a little uncomfortable and eating and speaking definitely take some practice and getting used to. You might feel that the dentures are loose or bulky inside your mouth. There may also be some extra saliva. Don’t worry, though, as these effects eventually fade.
In time, the muscles in your mouth will adjust, and eating, speaking, and laughing with your dentures on will improve. Just make sure that you care for your dentures as you would with your natural teeth. So avoid sticky and hard food. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles to clean your teeth, and you can also choose to keep your gums soaked in cleaning solution at night.
There really is nothing that should keep you from enjoying a beautiful smile again. So whether you are old or young, if you need dentures, go ahead and have them! We have a dentist in your area who can help you! Call us for more information!