The Benefits of Dentures
General dentistry services help preserve oral health and prevent dental complications such as tooth loss. Unfortunately, even with good oral hygiene habits, tooth loss can occur. If someone has suffered extensive tooth loss, dentures are often the best solution.
Dentures can replace multiple teeth at once, and even up to an entire arch of missing teeth. Here, dentists from Fairfax Family Dental Care, in Fairfax, VA, discuss the many dentures benefits that are available to those who have suffered extensive tooth loss.
Improved Oral Functions
If even a single permanent tooth is lost, it can impact oral functions. When multiple teeth are lost, the effects are that much greater. Dentures replace missing teeth so that individuals can bite, chew, and eat with greater comfort and ease. Dentures are strong and secure enough to withstand all normal oral functions, so our Fairfax patients can feel confident eating a normal diet without any concerns about pain.
What many people do not realize is that the teeth play an important role in speaking as well. Tooth loss can interfere with speech and make it difficult to pronounce certain sounds/letters. With dentures in place, patients are able to speak more clearly and communicate better with others.
Enhanced Confidence
The aesthetic effects of tooth loss can be significant. Missing teeth can make the smile look unhealthy and may even make a person appear years older than they actually are. As a result, some people may be shy about smiling, laughing, or talking in front of others. Dentures look healthy, natural, and attractive, so that our patients can once again feel confident about the smile they are presenting to the world.
Restoration of Facial Volume
Tooth loss not only impacts the aesthetic of the smile, but the overall appearance of the face as well. Without teeth to provide volume, the lips, cheeks, and jaw may appear hollow or sunken in, which can also make a person look aged beyond their natural years. Dentures fill out the smile and restore facial volume so that the face appears fuller and more youthful.
Protection of Remaining Natural Teeth
When tooth loss affects only one area of the mouth, it creates an imbalance in the bite. This leaves remaining natural teeth to take on the force of biting and chewing. With all of the pressure on certain teeth, they are likely to wear out or become damaged prematurely. Another concern is that, without the support provided by a full set of teeth, remaining natural teeth will shift. Dentures fill in gaps left by tooth loss to balance out the bite and provide support to the natural teeth so that they stay in their correct position.
Widespread Candidacy
Another benefit of dentures is their widespread candidacy. Other tooth loss treatments, such as dental bridges and implants, require patients to have a certain amount of bone density, healthy adjacent teeth, and/or healthy gums. Dentures are suitable for just about any patient, even those who have suffered bone degeneration or other concerns regarding the health of the gums and teeth.
Contact Us
Dentures offer a strong and stable replacement for missing teeth. If you have suffered widespread tooth loss and would like to know if dentures are right for you, we invite you to schedule an appointment at Fairfax Family Dental Care. To get started, call (703) 385-0303 at your earliest convenience.
