A Denture Adventure Decision to Make: How to Decide if Full Dentures Are the Right Choice
Posted on: 5 October 2017
Sacrificing what remains of your natural teeth, no matter how bad their condition, in favour of full dentures is never an easy decision to make. This is especially true if you are still in your twenties or thirties. Once your natural teeth are gone, there is no getting them back. However, getting full dentures today does not mean that you need to wear them forever.
You could later opt for dental implants or to support your full dentures with mini dental implants at a later date. Modern dentistry also offers several alternatives to full dentures. If you are considering opting for full dentures but are unsure at this time if that is the right thing to do, consider the following points before taking any further action.
Can You Afford Restorative Dentistry?
Even severely decayed teeth can be saved. Restorative dentistry can take a badly decayed tooth and turn it into a fully functional tooth using porcelain crowns, dental bridges, or a combination of both. However, while your insurance might cover some of the cost, you still have to come up with the rest. If most of your teeth are badly broken and decayed, it could cost you thousands to restore all your teeth with crowns or bridges.
However, if just a handful of your teeth are badly decayed, restorative dentistry might be the answer.
Are You Physically Compatible with Dentures?
People with strong gag reflexes will struggle with full dentures. This is because full dentures not only rest against the roof of the mouth, but also may come into contact with your tongue. This may cause problems if you have a strong gag reflex.
Likewise, the same is true for tongue thrusters. If you thrust your tongue forwards against your teeth when swallowing, you may struggle at times to keep your lower dentures comfortably in your mouth.
Does Your Job Involve Dealing with People?
Although you will adjust to your dentures in time, at first, they may cause you several issues if your job requires you to deal with the public. Lisping can be an issue for some denture wearers. And if you do not use the right adhesive, your dentures may be in danger of slipping out as you talk.
You Can Learn to Live with Dentures
Although there is an adjustment period with full dentures, if you are patient, you can learn to love them within a few weeks. After all, you will be able to smile more confidently, as you'll now have teeth, albeit false teeth, that look like attractive and like natural teeth. You may also find that you can now eat foods that you couldn't before because of the pain you were in.
Full dentures don't have to be the final solution to your dental issues. They can be just the start. Later, you can opt for implant-supported dentures which will negate the need for denture adhesive and leave you feeling more secure.
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