Dentures can provide life-changing treatment for patients with missing teeth. While dentures have many benefits, it is normal to have questions and concerns regarding your oral health. Your dental professional will consult your medical history, goals, and overall well-being before pursuing treatment. Here, Dr. Joyce Kim, a dentist in Williamsport, PA, addresses common questions for patients interested in dentures.
Why do I need dentures?
If you are missing several teeth, dentures can be the tooth replacement solution you have been hoping for. When teeth are missing, your bite can be misaligned, causing the remaining teeth to move or become damaged. This can lead to additional dental work that can be expensive. Dentures prevent further harm to your teeth and restore oral function. With dentures, you can eat and speak normally once again.
What is the process for getting dentures?
After a consultation determines dentures are the right treatment for you, your dentist will take an impression of your teeth to build a customized denture for your unique mouth. Depending on your needs, you may receive either a partial denture, which is similar in structure to a bridge that replaces several teeth in a row, or a full denture, which substitutes an entire arch of your teeth.
Once the dentures are constructed, you can keep them as a removable fixture, have them secured into place with bonding, or get them permanently secured with implants, which involves surgery. Each of these options will require maintenance, especially good oral hygiene habits. Your dentist will provide appropriate after-care instructions for your dentures.
Will dentures change the way I look?
Decades of research and development have ensured that dentures continue to work efficiently while fitting in naturally with your smile. Special attention is paid to shape, color, alignment, and size when your dentures are constructed in a dental laboratory. Your dentures will look and feel like your regular teeth. Tooth loss can cause facial muscles to sag, leading to a change in appearance. Dentures can restore your smile and face structure and have you looking the way you want to.
Should I worry about dentures falling out of place?
Your dentures will be constructed to fit your unique mouth using an impression and then adjusted in a final fitting. If your dentures are slipping out of place after you leave the dental office, contact your dentist, and they can work with you to ensure your dentures are secure. Even removable dentures should fit comfortably and reliably when in use. You should be confident that appropriately constructed dentures will remain in place when you need them.
Dentures and more in Williamsport, PA
Dentures and other restorative dental services are available at Loyalsock Dental Associates in Williamsport, PA. Dr. Kim also specializes in general, cosmetic, and implant dentistry. Contact our office online or by phone at 570.989.5271.