I Haven’t Had Teeth in a Long Time — Can I Still Get Dentures?

If you lost your teeth a long time ago, you are all too familiar with the challenges that accompany edentulism (the state of being toothless). Perhaps you are ready to finally get dentures in order to restore your chewing ability and boost your confidence, but you might wonder if that opportunity is still open to you. This blog post discusses some of the challenges you may face as well as offers hope that you can regain a complete and confident smile.

Missing Teeth and Bone Loss

When you lose teeth, your jawbone begins to change. Without regular stimulation from your tooth roots as you chew, the bone gradually shrinks in a process called resorption. This bone loss can affect your oral health and appearance in several ways:

• Your jaw may appear smaller or sunken, which can lead to changes in your facial shape.
• The support for your lips and cheeks weakens, making your face look older.
• Remaining bone may become fragile, making it harder to support any type of restoration, including dentures.

Options for Tooth Replacement

Although bone loss is a natural consequence of tooth loss, it does not mean you have no options for rebuilding your smile. In fact, even if you lost your teeth a long time ago and your jawbone has undergone significant changes as a result, there is still a good chance that you can enjoy the benefits of dentures!

In order to determine your best options for tooth replacement, your dentist will examine your mouth, take some X-rays, and learn about your medical history. Based on that information, they may suggest one of the following treatments:

Traditional Dentures

These removable prosthetics sit on your gums and replace missing teeth. They can restore chewing ability and improve your appearance, although they require periodic adjustments in order to stay comfortable and maintain their fit.

The pressure applied by traditional dentures may negatively affect your bone. However, you can minimize this issue by taking your dentures out at night, making sure they fit properly and securely on your gums, and eating a healthful diet.

Implant Dentures

These dentures attach to small prosthetic tooth roots, called dental implants, that are placed in the jawbone. They offer greater stability and feel more natural than traditional dentures, but they require a significant amount of bone density and volume.

One great feature of implant dentures is that they stimulate the jawbone and can prevent it from deteriorating. In fact, they may even be able to reverse bone loss to an extent. If you do not have enough bone left to support them, you may need to undergo a bone graft, a procedure that involves placing bone material onto your jaw in order to fortify it. (Bone grafts are also occasionally used before placement of traditional dentures.)

You should not have to live with an incomplete smile! Talk to your dental team to learn about your options for replacing your lost teeth.

Meet the Practice

At Orange Place Family Dentistry, we welcome patients of all sorts, including those with complex or severe oral health issues. We offer a number of tooth replacement options, and one of our doctors — Dr. Koops — has even completed advanced dental implant training. If you are ready to replace your lost teeth, we would be happy to welcome you in for a consultation. Contact our Beachwood, OH, office at 216-464-2448.