Fort Worth dentist explains why dentures are important for your lasting health

An older mouth does not have to mean a toothless mouth. Age is associated with tooth loss, due in part to oral health challenges that can arise. These challenges may result in the need to replace some or all teeth. Modern options for tooth replacement look and feel no different from natural healthy teeth. Fort Worth, TX ^⤴ Dentures at Sycamore Dental
aren’t those fake false teeth your parents or grandparents complained about. It’s important to overcome anxiety related to conventional tooth replacement and to understand why dentures are important. With so many attractive and comfortable options, you’ll quickly see that going without teeth is not necessary at all!

How time affects teeth

You may have heard teeth get brittle with age. The truth is, that teeth become worn from years of mashing and chewing. Over time, even the most resilient fillings and crowns may crack or break when biting down on sticky, chewy, or hard foods like popcorn kernels and brittle. Not limited to older patients, bruxism (or teeth-grinding) damages healthy teeth if it’s not diagnosed and treated appropriately. The phrase long in the tooth refers to a smile that appears toothier with the passage of time due to receding gums, which can be indicative of progressive gum disease. Years of living with the disease cause gum tissues to separate from teeth. The space in between harbors the bacteria that cause decay and tooth loss.

Dry mouth is also responsible for tooth loss. It’s a prevalent problem among seniors, and not because the flow of saliva naturally slows with age. Instead, the culprit is very often the medications taken to manage chronic conditions that develop over time. Estimates are that as many as 800 drugs list dry mouth as a side effect. Your teeth depend on saliva as a natural cleanser, which helps to rinse away decay-producing sugars.

Dentures to the rescue

If, through the years, you’ve found yourself missing some or many teeth, modern dentures at Sycamore Dental have the power to restore your quality of life and confidence. This is no over-exaggeration. Think of all the ways tooth-related problems have affected your life. Do you hide your smile? Do you not eat as much as you should because it’s difficult to chew? Are favorite foods out of the question because they’re too sticky or hard? Have you suffered from sleepless nights due to the pain of an infected tooth? Did the pain cause you to miss out on work or social events? If you have decayed teeth, oral infections can be serious and spread to other parts of your body.

While our team prefers to retain natural teeth wherever possible, in some situations, it’s best for your health to extract problem teeth. Plus, thanks to modern techniques, you never have to be seen in public without teeth. For example, Dr. Suri offers both interim partial dentures (or flippers) and immediate dentures that are inserted in your mouth right after the extractions are completed. These temporary appliances are worn while your permanent partial or full denture is fabricated in the off-site lab.

When fitted to your unique specifications, Dr. Suri’s advanced dentures make all the complications of damaged or missing teeth a thing of the past!

• Chew effortlessly again
• Enjoy formerly off-limits foods
• Speak confidently; overcome impediments that have developed due to tooth loss
• Look Younger
• Prevent or stop bone loss

Bone loss or resorption is one of the most devastating aspects of tooth loss. The longer you go without teeth, the worse this progressive condition becomes. As bone loses height and density, it makes existing problems with speech and chewing worse. It also dramatically alters the appearance of your face. You may look far older than your driver’s license indicates because the process results in a sunken or collapsed and aged appearance.

Dentures immediately fill out your face. These dental appliances may even help to reverse the effects of bone loss. Since resorption occurs when your jaw doesn’t get stimulation from actions like grinding or mashing food, dentures support the healthy function that keeps the underlying bone strong. Dentures that are supported by dental implants placed in the jawbone are renowned for their lifelike appearance and feel. Since they’re designed like natural teeth, implant-supported dentures promote natural function. But you can also benefit from well-fitting conventional dentures. The choice is yours!

Sycamore Dental looks forward to hearing from you. Call (817) 438-1828 to schedule your consultation.