Dentures are simply artificial teeth, used since way back in the 15th century. President George Washington even had his share of ill-fitting, now-unthinkable dentures in the 1700s, which was a base made from hippopotamus ivory carved to fit his gums (talk about improvising).

They are basically used to replace missing teeth that have fallen off due to dental disease, tooth decay or injury. Lost teeth need to be replaced for several, very valid reasons:

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

- To help with clear speaking -- 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 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 restore a person’s smile -- Most importantly (for the vain at least), because dentures replace teeth, they can allow a person to smile and laugh once again without feeling self-conscious of his or her teeth (or lack thereof).

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.

Until such time that we all learn how to keep our natural teeth in place until death -- a time we all know will never come to pass -- dentures will forever exist, quietly serving their purpose for mankind.

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