Dentures are designed to replace missing teeth and the surrounding gum tissue. If you have missing teeth, there is no reason they could make you feel embarrassed about your smile. A good dentist can give you Wichita Falls dentures and partial dentures that improve your smile and look as well as help you eat and speak without any discomfort.
Issues with Missing Teeth
When you lose at least one tooth, you may worry about more than just how you look. As your teeth are an important part of your facial structure, missing even one tooth can cause the muscles in your face to sag, making you look older than your age. Usually, you will have difficulty pronouncing some words.
In addition, missing teeth can negatively impact your ability to chew some foods, resulting in changes in your diet. This can have serious effects on your overall health because foods that are not easy to chew tend to provide greater nutritional value.
Lastly, as your teeth are not securely fixed in your jawbone, the natural teeth on both sides of the gap will shift towards the gap. Such crooked teeth are difficult to clean and can impact your bite. So, if you are missing teeth in a row, you must consider getting dentures.
Partial vs Full Dentures
Dentures are custom-made from impressions taken of your mouth. But depending on the number of teeth you have lost, your dentist determines the kind of denture that is the best for you. If you have lost most or all of your teeth along your dental arch, you need full dentures. But if you are missing just a few teeth, you can benefit from partial dentures.
A full set of dentures have a base that has flesh-colored acrylic or plastic that rests on your gums and is molded to fit comfortably. The upper set is meant to cover your mouth’s roof or palate. Between your denture and gums, a thin layer of saliva forms a seal to anchor the denture. This is the reason your dentures can become loose when you have a dry mouth.
Partial dentures have one or more artificial teeth. But if you have sufficient natural teeth, your dentist can place a dental bridge to connect the gap created by the missing teeth. A false tooth can be anchored to crows on one side of the gap. If your teeth aren’t in good condition, the prosthetic tooth can be attached to an implant in your jaw.