Dentures – Jenks
Show off a Complete Smile
You rely on having teeth every day to complete daily tasks. Something as simple as chewing your food or speaking clearly can be made significantly more challenging when you have gaps in your smile. That’s why at Elwood Avenue Dental, we are proud to offer partial dentures, full dentures, and implant dentures to help our patients show off a complete smile. To learn more about dentures or to schedule a consultation, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Why Choose Elwood Avenue Dental for Dentures?
- Customized for a Natural Appearance
- We Welcome Dental Insurance
- Flexible Financing Available
Who’s a Good Candidate for Dentures?
Whether you’ve lost one or several teeth, gaps in your grin can detract from your daily quality of life. Anyone in these circumstances can potentially benefit from dentures. These prosthetics are a versatile solution that can be adapted to meet your unique dental needs. However, before proceeding, you’ll receive professional guidance from one of our dentists during your initial consultation to determine whether this is the best treatment for you. Continue reading to learn more about what makes you a good candidate for dentures, and feel free to contact us to schedule an appointment or request additional information.
Effects of Missing Teeth
Did you know that an estimated 69% of American adults have lost at least one tooth by the time they’re 44 years old? There are several potential causes, but the number one concern is gum disease. Periodontal problems weaken the tissues that hold teeth in place, causing them to become destabilized and fall out. Tooth decay and physical injury can also cause severe enough damage that they’re lost or dislodged.
Whatever the reason for your tooth loss, it’s bound to impact your oral health. Your body starts to reabsorb bone mass from your jaw that’s no longer needed to support them, so it slowly deteriorates. This can lead to changes in your facial structure, like sagging cheeks, in addition to functional issues like difficulty speaking and eating.
In addition to that, people missing teeth often feel overly self-conscious about the changes to their appearance and become anxious, depressed, or less willing to engage socially.
What Qualifies You for Dentures?
Potentially, any individual who has lost several or all their teeth can be a candidate for dentures. This might be the right treatment for you if:
- You’ve experienced significant tooth loss.
- You have sensitive teeth, especially when consuming anything overly hot or cold.
- Your jawbone has sufficient density to support your prosthetics.
- You’re committed to oral hygiene and capable of cleaning them daily.
- You’re seeking a cost-effective replacement option.
After your consultation, our team can recommend the type of restoration that would work best for your circumstances. Whether you need full, partial, or implant dentures, our team will help you recreate your smile.
Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options
If we determine that this method isn’t the best fit for you, then we might suggest one of the alternative options, like dental bridges or implants. Below is a more detailed description of each of these choices:
- Dental bridges: These are best for those who are missing one or several teeth in a row. They typically consist of the correct number of artificial teeth with a dental crown on either side. These are used as anchors over healthy teeth on either side of the gap in your grin.
- Dental implants: This involves surgically placing titanium posts into your jawbone to support your final restoration, such as a dental crown, implant bridge, or implant dentures. It is often more costly than traditional dentures but is a more permanent, long-term solution.
Types of Dentures
There are multiple different types of dentures available to cater to a variety of different tooth-replacement needs. During your consultation, we will discuss your options to choose the right tooth replacement option for you. Here are the dentures that we offer.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures work great for people who still have some healthy teeth in an arch. A partial denture fits in between the surrounding teeth, almost like a puzzle piece, and is held into place using clasps. This way, missing teeth in several different locations in the mouth can be replaced by a single prosthetic for each arch.
Full Dentures
A full denture replaces an entire arch of missing teeth. Instead of being held into place using clasps, full dentures remain stationary thanks to the shape and natural suction of the mouth. This type of denture is made with a gum-colored base and holds natural-looking replacement teeth into place.
Implant Dentures
If you are looking for a sturdier, longer-lasting tooth replacement option, dental implant dentures are an excellent solution. These dentures are held into place with titanium, screw-like implants that are surgically placed in the jawbone to act as tooth roots. They allow for additional bite force and prevent bone loss from occurring over time.
The Benefits of Dentures
It can be hard to engage in daily tasks such as eating, smiling, and speaking if you are missing multiple teeth. Thankfully, dentures can change a patient’s life by replacing lost teeth with lifelike restorations. These appliances can be used to replace one, several, most of, or all of a patient’s grin, making it easier to smile, chew, and speak normally and confidently again. Here’s a brief overview of some of the benefits dentures offer, but please reach out to our office in Jenks if you have any questions.
Psychological Benefits
It can be difficult to accept tooth loss, which can lead to diminished self-esteem, a reduced desire to engage in social activities, and an increased risk of sadness or depression. Restoring your smile with dentures can improve your confidence and self-esteem, making it easier to smile and socialize. Dentures can also minimize the anxiety many patients feel about speaking and chewing during social engagements.
Clearer Enunciation
Tooth loss can make it more difficult to form certain sounds during speech. The lips and tongue need to be positioned precisely to pronounce words properly, and the teeth play a crucial role in directing the flow of air. Since dentures act as your missing teeth, wearing them can make it much easier to enunciate your words clearly. While you can expect a brief adjustment period while you learn to talk with your dentures, speaking will come more easily as you get more practice.
Improves Nutrition
Losing teeth can make it much more difficult to eat a nutritious diet. Many healthy foods like veggies, fruits, and meats can be tough or fibrous, making it difficult if not impossible to chew them properly with missing teeth. This can lead to a patient developing problems like indigestion or malnutrition. By improving a patient’s chewing ability, dentures allow them to enjoy a wider range of nutritious foods so they can enjoy optimal overall health.
Preserves Oral Health
Dentures can also be an investment in a patient’s oral health. For those who still have remaining natural teeth, dentures can help prevent them from shifting out of alignment. They can also help prevent dental injuries by bearing much of the pressure of chewing and protecting the remaining teeth from wear and tear as well as cracks, chips, and fractures.
Expands Opportunities
People who smile generously are more likely to be seen as approachable, confident, trustworthy, and friendly to those around them, and all of these attributes are huge assets in the business world. In fact, a study in 2019 found that the likelihood of being employed was negatively associated with poor oral health. Having a beautiful smile that you are proud to show off can help you make a stellar first impression, which can lead to you land a juicy promotion or an exciting new job.