Debunking 4 Common Myths About Dentures

When an injury or disease causes you to lose your teeth, your smile and confidence will automatically disappear along with the teeth – but a trip to the dentist for fitting dentures can give you back your self-assurance, costing you anywhere from $500 to $2500. These artificial teeth are designed to look and feel like your natural teeth. They fit snugly in your mouth when your natural teeth are lost. But there are several myths related to dentures that should be swapped with pure facts. Here are some myths about dentures that should be debunked.

Dentures Are Not Natural Teeth – Medication Does Not Affect Them

Contrary to popular belief, drugs and medication can affect the way dentures fit you and how you wear them. Certain types of medication used to treat heart disease and high blood pressure can disturb the quantity of saliva and increase the risk of bleeding in your mouth. Before deciding to go in for dentures, discuss your medical history with your dentist – he will recommend an appropriate course of action to reduce the risk of complications. 

Denture Wearers Can't Speak or Eat Normally

Contrary to what you think, there's no need to make dramatic changes to your diet. When you get your first set of dentures fit in by the dentist, you will naturally need to re-learn how to eat and speak. With natural teeth, you generally chew food on one side and then the other. However, with dentures, you need to balance your chewing by biting on both sides together. Once you get used to this, your eating will go back to normal.

Dentures Need Adhesives to Fit Correctly

Many people believe that they need to use adhesives to make dentures fit – this is not necessarily true. Dentures are prepared to fit your mouth precisely to hold in place in your mouth, so technically you don't need an adhesive. If your denture is ill fitting and you need an adhesive, the problem lies with the shape of your dentures – your dentist will ideally need to reshape them to get them to fit your jaw accurately without the need for an adhesive. Using adhesives may conceal oral infections, causing bone loss in the jaw.

Dentures Can Be Fixed On Your Own

Even if you are adept at fixing most other things, don't try to repair your dentures on your own. Fixing dentures is best left to a professional dentist, as improperly relined and incorrectly fitting dentures will cause increased pressure and bone loss to the jaw – this may affect your eating and speech drastically.

Dentures are a good choice for people who have partially or completely lost their teeth – discuss your options with your dentist and rid your mind off these common denture myths. For more information, contact a business such as Fairfield Dental Healthcare Clinic.


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