Complete Denture Care and Repair

So, you've got brand new false teeth? And you think you're set for life, right? Not exactly.

It's frustrating but true: from the day you first don your dentures, the tissue in your mouth begins to shrink. Your replacement teeth are already on their way to not fitting. The ridges that support the dentures seem to have a life of their own and they begin to recede, the result? Loose dentures. The upper denture moves up and back, and the lower denture settles down. This causes your chin to approach your nose at as much as 1/16th inch per year! On top of that, the bite often goes awry, moving the upper teeth back behind the lowers.

Your appearance changes over time, your cheeks sag a little, new wrinkles around the mouth appear. Diagonal lines run from the nose to the corners of the mouth. Does the image of Gabby Hayes come to mind?

Denture wearers who refuse to succumb to a premature look of age can take heart. After all, this transformation is not caused by cheap dentures, but old dentures. It's not magic: a new denture can be made. To put it simply, the base is extended to compensate for the shrinkage in the tissue; this moves the front teeth forward to their original position. And takes years off your appearance.

Even if your present false teeth are in perfect condition, the changes in your mouth date them. In fact, don't expect dentures to last more than 5 to 10 years and still give you a natural look. A fact of life. But by replacing dentures as your mouth changes, you'll retain a youthful fullness to your face and keep a younger looking smile. If your dentures have been around a while, see your prosthodontist and consider a new set. Old prosthodontics can make you look older, too. And that can be fixed.

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