Dentures help to replace missing teach and improve your smile, and in the process, change your appearance.
Dentures are custom-made for your mouth to replace missing teeth; hence a perfect fit for you. Moreover, they are designed to closely resemble natural teeth and gums, providing a natural-looking appearance when worn. These factors mean that you can restore your complete smile, and even enhance your facial aesthetics so you look younger!
While dentures can certainly improve your smile and restore a more youthful appearance, the overall impact on your appearance can vary depending on factors such as the quality of the dentures, the skill of the dentist or prosthodontist in creating them, and the specific characteristics of your individual facial structure.
Nevertheless, your new dentures will contribute to a more confident smile, which may positively affect your self-esteem and perception of your own appearance.
The jawbone starts to develop in the fetus stage, and is largely initiated by the presence and development of tooth buds, which later develop into baby teeth, and then adult teeth. This means that the jawbone cannot develop in the absence of either baby or adult teeth, and the close relationship between facial bone and teeth continues throughout life.
Teeth transmit tensile and compressive forces to the underneath bone. So, when you lose a tooth, the absence of stimulation to its supporting bone causes its volume and density to decrease.
In fact, up to 25 percent bone loss occurs in the first year after tooth loss, and continues with age.
However, installing removable dentures may not necessarily reduce bone loss significantly. So, many dentists recommend the use of implant-supported dentures, since the implants can continue to stimulate the bone tissue to stop bone loss and preserve your facial features.
The Fallacy that Dentures Ruined My Life
Patients generally express a higher level of satisfaction with their upper dentures compared to their lower dentures.
It is widely known that lower dentures can be more problematic. In a recent study, the dissatisfaction rate for lower dentures was 36%, while for upper dentures it was 10%.
Despite the varying levels of satisfaction, overall satisfaction rates were relatively high. This could be due to a couple of reasons:
- Firstly, patients in a dental school environment may develop a friendship or connection with their student dentist, which could lead to a hesitancy in expressing dissatisfaction.
- Secondly, the evaluation of denture satisfaction was conducted within a relatively short period of 2-3 months after the completion of the treatment. Most patients in the study had prior denture experience, allowing them to adapt more quickly and have realistic expectations regarding aesthetics and psychosocial factors.
Based on this study, it is clear that satisfaction from dentures is influenced by the level of trust that a patient has on their dentist, as well as the duration of wearing them, since the longer dentures are worn, the better they are tolerated, even if they have a poor fit.
What are facelift dentures?
The moment you lose your natural teeth, your face begins to age rapidly. Fortunately, installing fitting dentures helps your facial appearance to remain the same, at first. But as soon as you start using your dentures like your normal teeth, which is basically after you leave the dentist’s office, the bone that supported your natural teeth begins the process of resorption or disappearing, causing your facial appearance to collapse.
As the bone disappears, the distance between your nose and chin (vertical dimension) continues to increase, accelerating the ageing process. At the same time, the lips continue to flatten, causing little vertical wrinkles (ragades) to form, along with labiomental folds (wrinkles on the sides of your lips).
Without properly fitting dentures to provide sufficient support to your lips and cheeks, the proportions of your face become unbalanced, your facial muscles sag downwards, your features begin to collapse, and you can look older than your years.
You should consider getting dentures if you are dealing with the loss of facial structure as a result of tooth loss. Making a consultation appointment with a prosthodontist is the first step in assessing whether dentures are the best solution for you.
The prosthodontist will conduct a thorough evaluation during your initial appointment to decide whether dentures are the best tooth replacement choice for you. Next, your prosthodontist will create and fit a set of custom dentures that will restore both function and facial structure.
Facelift dentures: before and after pictures
If you’ve been living with gaps left behind by missing teeth, getting dentures can change your life. Technology advancements have made it possible to buy dentures that both look and work properly.
When you have a cost effective replacement option like dentures, there is no reason to keep dealing with the effects of tooth loss. Make an appointment with a prosthodontist to find out if you should have dentures or another kind of tooth replacement.
A well-made set of dentures can help you get back to eating normally and living your life to the fullest, as shown in the photos and video above.
Final Thoughts
To prevent ageing signs from bone loss, and maintain your facial structure, dentures must be relined every two years. To compensate for the shrinking bone structure, the dentist adds new plastic to the inside of your existing denture, so the dentures remain tight and stable. After 5-7 years, dentures should be replaced depending on the condition of your gums and bone tissue.
