Dental Care: How to Live with Dentures as a Young Person
Tooth loss affects people of all ages, including young people. This condition can significantly impact your quality of life, such as your ability to speak and chew properly and make you look older. It also negatively affects your psychological well-being, where you may feel self-conscious about your appearance.
Fortunately, cosmetic dentistry solutions like dentures can help replace missing teeth and rebuild your smile and confidence, even if you lost your pearly whites at a young age.
This article will enumerate the two types of removable dentures, who qualify for this treatment, and which best suits your needs. We’ll also discuss how your dentist will fit the dentures and how to live with them as a young person.
What Are the Types of Removable Dentures?
This section will enumerate the two types of removable dentures.
1. Partial Dentures
This dental appliance can replace several missing teeth. It has a set of replacement teeth attached to a plastic base that looks like gums and may also have a metal frame that connects with the existing teeth. Your dentist will adjust the denture to fit your mouth to replace the missing teeth.
2. Full Dentures
On the other hand, your dentist will craft full dentures to fit your mouth. They resemble natural teeth and can help restore your smile. Your dental healthcare provider will create this prosthetic set of teeth from plastic and mold it to your gums for a comfortable yet secure fit. They can replace all the teeth in your upper or lower jaw or both.
Who Can Qualify for Dentures?
Young people could get dentures if they lose their teeth from untreated gum disease, tooth decay, ectodermal dysplasia, and gastrointestinal reflux.
Which Dentures Work for Me?
You can determine which dentures best suit your needs by consulting your dentist. They’ll examine your teeth and jaw to identify the gap’s size and location and if there are any surrounding teeth. That way, they can advise you on the most suitable type of denture for your situation.
How to Get Your Dentures Fitted
Your dentist can give you a temporary set of dentures while waiting for your permanent ones so you can maintain your smile and still enjoy eating your favorite foods. The temporary dentures can help your gums heal faster because they’ll fit snugly in your mouth. That way, you don’t need to worry about walking around toothless while you wait.
Once your mouth fully heals and you’re ready to get dentures, your dental healthcare provider will call you for a second appointment to have them fitted. You should wait for an hour and thirty minutes after the placement of the dentures before eating or drinking anything. You should also avoid using straws for the first three days.
How to Live with Dentures
While it may be awkward to speak and eat with dentures for the first time, remember that it’s normal, and things will get better once you’ve adjusted to your dentures.
You can begin your new life with dentures by practicing your speech alone or with a trusted friend. This step can help you gain confidence when speaking with dentures, improve your communication skills, and let your mouth muscles adjust to the prosthetic teeth.
Next, you should cut your food into small pieces. Gradually increase the size of your bites as you get used to chewing and biting with false teeth. Moreover, you should avoid eating sticky, hard, or chewy foods because they can be challenging to eat and can damage your prosthetic teeth.
Conclusion
Tooth loss can negatively affect your self-esteem and quality of life, especially if you’ve lost them at a young age. Fortunately, cosmetic dentistry solutions like dentures can help restore your best smile.
Lexington Smile Studio offers reliable cosmetic dentistry in Lexington to help our young patients smile better. We set the standard for exceptional dental care. Book an appointment with us today!
