Missing teeth can affect your ability to chew, eat and speak properly, so it’s understandable why you’d consider dentures.

Dentures are artificial teeth that have been used to replace missing teeth since the 15th century. President George Washington had dentures that were made from hippopotamus ivory carved to fit his gums.

Today’s dentures are made of composite resin and porcelain, and are designed with a “precision fit” to ensure comfort and provide the most optimal position for your jaw and bite.

If you have lost teeth due to dental disease such as tooth decay or injury, there are several reasons why your lost teeth should be replaced with dentures:

- To help you chew and eat better -- Can you imagine chewing with your gums? Dentures empower an edentulous (toothless) adult to eat more than just baby food.

- To help you speak more clearly -- Teeth play a major role in producing the right sounds that make up correct pronunciation of words. Without teeth, you may be speaking a language only understood by fellow toothless folks.

- To keep your teeth in line -- Space left by missing teeth leaves room for surrounding teeth to drift out of position. This shifting can cause a litany of dental problems that can possibly cause pain in the jaw. Trust us, it can get ugly (or uglier).

- To look younger -- Dentures aren’t exactly magic anti-aging solutions, but they certainly help one look a bit younger by holding up facial muscles. Without teeth, these muscles sag, which can definitely make a person look old.

- To smile with confidence -- Because dentures replace teeth, they can allow a person to smile and laugh again without feeling self-conscious.

Types of Dentures

Dentures indeed do a pretty good job as teeth replacements, whether as partial dentures or complete dentures.

Partial dentures are for those lucky enough to need only one or several teeth replaced. They come as removable partial dentures or fixed partial dentures, better known as crowns and bridges.

Complete dentures replace a full jaw of teeth -- best for the totally toothless.

Denture Care

Whether you’re partially or completely toothless, dentures may be the best thing to ever happen to you, so treat them with the best of care through four simple steps:

- Rinse after meals.
- Brush at least once a day.
- Soak your denture in a denture cleaner once a week.
- Get a yearly ultrasonic cleaning.

To find out if you’re a good candidate for dentures, be sure to visit your dentist for a complete evaluation!

---

Footnote