Missing permanent teeth can negatively impact your daily quality of life in a few ways. For instance, many patients struggle to accept the sudden changes to their appearance and develop anxiety that they’ll be judged. Others develop a lisp, slur, or other speech impediment, while some have challenges biting and chewing.
Your dentist can provide lifelike dentures to restore your smile, but if it’s been a long time since you lost one or more of your teeth, you might worry it’s too late to pursue this treatment. Continue reading to learn more about what to expect!
How Do Dentures Work?
Dentures are the tried-and-true solution for tooth loss because they’re a cost-effective and versatile way to rebuild your arches. Whether you require a full or partial set, these restorations typically consist of a gum-colored acrylic base that contains the necessary number of pontics (artificial teeth) to close the spaces in your smile.
Partial dentures also have metal clasps that clip to healthy teeth in your mouth to remain in place, but complete dentures must form a tight suction against the connective tissues over the bony ridges in your mouth to stay put. That means you must have sufficiently healthy gums and a strong enough jawbone to support them.
How Does Tooth Loss Impact My Jawbone?
Unfortunately, if you’ve waited a year or more since losing teeth, your jaw has likely already begun to degenerate. Your roots are responsible for activating new bone growth with each bite down, which keeps it active and healthy under normal circumstances. But when one goes missing, you can lose up to 25% of the surrounding mass within the first 12 months.
This can impact both your oral health and your facial structure. Not only can your jawbone become too frail to support your grin, resulting in additional tooth loss, but you might also develop sunken-looking cheeks and additional facial wrinkles as it thins.
Have I Waited Too Long to Get Dentures?
If you’ve waited a while to replace your lost teeth, it’s possible that your jaw is already too flat and frail to support dentures. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to live the rest of your life with gaps in your grin.
Dental implants can be used to rebuild your smile while helping preserve your jawbone. For instance, four to eight of these posts can be strategically placed in your jaw to anchor a full set of lifelike dentures. These function like roots to keep your jaw healthy and strong while simultaneously restoring your mouth’s appearance and functionality.
That means it’s still possible to get dentures, even if you’ve waited a long time to pursue this treatment. If you’re unsure of the best way to replace your missing teeth, your dentist can provide a customized treatment plan after your initial consultation!
Meet the Author
Dr. Lance Anderson is passionate about helping families in Lovell improve their daily lives by enhancing their dental health. He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine from the University of Louisville, and today, proudly offers a comprehensive menu of services to meet the needs of patients of all ages. His caring approach is combined with advanced technology to provide beautiful dentures made from resilient materials that are carefully designed to resemble your natural teeth and gums to boost your confidence. You can request an appointment on the website or call (307) 548-7654.