A Dentures
are worn to replace your natural teeth. They
are usually made from lifelike resin teeth bonded
to a plastic base. You will either have been
fitted with a complete denture to replace all your
teeth, or a partial denture. Partial dentures
are usually held in place by clasps or metal clips,
which fit around some of your remaining teeth.
Q Will anyone
be able to tell I have dentures?
A Not
easily. With today’s technology dentures
can be made to look so natural that people can’t
tell who’s wearing them. Your dentist
has custom made your dentures to fit your mouth,
so they’ll take on the character of your
original teeth, leaving your appearance the same
as before. The colour of the teeth is carefully
selected, either to match your remaining teeth,
or simply to look as natural as possible.
Q How easy is
it to adjust to wearing them?
A While
your dentures have been custom made, they may initially
feel a little strange, or even rather a mouthful,
however, rest assured that they only feel that
way; you yourself will not look any different. You
may also find you produce more saliva than normal
but this should settle down soon enough. The
time it takes to adjust to wearing new dentures
is different for everyone, but you will soon learn
how to eat, talk and smile as you would with natural
teeth.
Q Will dentures
change how I speak?
A Pronouncing
certain words may require practice. Reading
out loud and repeating difficult words will help. But
over time you will adjust and get used to it, so
don’t worry! Using a denture fixative
will give you extra confidence with speaking.
Q Do I play
a role in how successful my dentures are?
A Yes. Learning
to eat with artificial teeth requires considerable
skill and practice. This is because every
person’s mouth has a different structure,
which can affect the retention and stability of
the denture. Also the level of suction which
helps hold the denture in place, particularly the
upper denture, will vary dependent upon the amount
of saliva produced. Many denture wearers
find the lower denture particularly difficult to
manage at first. Experience will help, as
will the use of a carefully selected denture fixative,
which is a useful aid to assisting with denture
retention and stability.
Q What about
eating out?
A Once
you get used to them, there is absolutely no reason
why you should feel too restricted by your dentures. You
will, with experience be able to enjoy your meals. At
first it is probably a good idea to eat softer
food, and to cut your food up into smaller pieces,
just until you get used to your dentures. While
you learn to use your dentures, it is also a good
idea to take smaller mouthfuls and chew slowly;
gradually you’ll get better as time goes
on. After you put your food into your mouth,
try to divide it in two, and then chew each half
at the back of each side of your mouth. This
even pressure on your dentures will stop them tipping
and make them feel more stable. A lot of
denture wearers avoid difficult foods like toffee,
crust bread, nuts and apples because they are worried
these might displace their dentures. However
a fixative can help. There is a choice between
flavoured and unflavoured fixative.
Q So what are
denture fixatives?
A However
well fitting your dentist has managed to make your
dentures, they can never provide the same, strong
biting surface as natural teeth. Using a
denture fixative should dispel many of the doubts
and fears you may have. Even if you have
well fitting dentures a fixative will help in many
ways, whether your dentures have just been fitted
or you have had them a long time.
Q How do they
work as an adhesive?
A Denture
fixatives work by reacting with saliva in the mouth
to develop adhesive properties. The ingredients
then work together to hold the denture in place
more firmly and reduce the wobble, so you can enjoy
eating apples, crusty bread and other foods that
you may otherwise avoid. A fixative can give
you more confidence in public and social situations. You
will feel better about eating, talking and even
playing sports, especially swimming, which puts
the suction of complete dentures at risk when water
gets into the mouth.
Q How do fixatives
work as a barrier?
A A
fixative prevents any pips and seeds getting stuck
between the dentures and your gums. It expands
to fill any gaps and blocks access to these bits
of food, so you can enjoy a wider range of foods
Q How do fixatives
act to increase your bite force?
A A
fixative will increase your ability and confidence
to bite into foods without dislodging your denture.
Q How does a
fixative help prevent gum irritation?
A A
fixative acts as a supporting layer between your
dentures and your gums, to help prevent them rubbing. It
also helps reduce the effects of any localised
pressure making denture wearing more comfortable.
Q How do I use
a denture fixative?
A Clean
your denture, preferably by brushing with a denture
toothpaste, and dry thoroughly. Apply denture
fixative in short ½” strips. Experiment
with position and quantity of the fixative for
the best results. A good rule is “less
is more”! Do not let the fixative
ooze out. Small dots may be better. If
oozing occurs use a little less. A good tip
is to rinse your mouth before inserting your dentures
for a quick hold. Press dentures firmly into
place for several seconds. Wait several minutes
before eating and drinking. The dentures
can be removed easily when required. Brush
gently with warm water to remove any remaining
fixative.
Q How do I take
care of my dentures?
A Dentures
need cleaning morning and night in the same way
as your natural teeth. If you follow this
same routine, you can not go far wrong. Pay
particular attention to your gums, and any remaining
teeth where they meet your dentures as plaque and
debris builds up in these areas.
Q So
how should dentures be cleaned?
A You
should ask your dentist. When cleaning your
dentures always remove them from your mouth beforehand
to clean them properly. As a general guide
remember that dentures are fragile and need to
be handled carefully when out of the mouth. Cleaning
them with a brush should be done over a basin filled
with warm water, so that if you drop them the water
will cushion the fall. The main purpose of
cleaning is to remove the dental plaque, which
builds up on dentures as well as teeth and can
harm the gums. Brushing a denture will also
remove any food particles stuck to it. The
highly polished, easily cleaned new surface of
dentures can be damaged by ordinary toothpastes,
which can be too abrasive. There are special
gentle denture cleaning toothpastes available which,
will leave your dentures fresh and minty like a
normal toothpaste but will not damage the surface. This
brushing helps remove the plaque and debris, whereas
soaking alone may not. If you have partial
dentures, you should pay particular attention to
cleaning your remaining teeth and follow a good
oral hygiene routine.
Q What is soaking?
A Some
people prefer to soak their dentures in a denture
cleaning solution although it has been proven that
brushing with a denture cleaning toothpaste is
better than soaking alone. It is a personal
choice, but if you do soak them, use a known brand
tablet or powder with luke warm water. If
your dentures have got metal parts, do not soak
them for more than 10 minutes, and remember that
continued soaking in boiling water can bleach or
discolour your dentures. Most soaking brands
recommend brushing as well as soaking to ensure
debris and plaque are physically removed.
Q Do I still
need to visit my dentist?
A Yes. Your
dentures are made from materials that are softer
than your natural teeth, so they will eventually
need replacing. Also your mouth changes shape
after your teeth have been removed, and even losing
weight can change the shape of your mouth. So
to make sure that your dentures continue to fit
properly it is important that you visit your dentist
at least once a year to have them checked. If
you have partial dentures you should visit your
dentist every six months.
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