When to Think About Getting Dentures (and What to Think About)

Making a decision about how to solve all of the lifestyle and health issues that flow from missing multiple teeth can be overwhelming. You’ll be besieged with all kinds of information and options ranging from complete and partial temporary dentures to immediate dentures to implant-supported dentures and dental implants to flexible dentures. It’d be completely understandable if you’re puzzled about which options are best for your needs.

The staff at your denture or dental clinic in Edmonton will always be on hand to answer all your questions, explain all your options and to walk you through the entire process. Never hesitate to ask any questions that you have. Deciding how to replace your missing teeth is an important decision and significant investment. Here are some things you should consider and discuss with a dentist near you when it comes to dentures.

How many teeth are you missing?

This may seem obvious, but let’s not skip a single step. Getting complete dentures in Edmonton is an appropriate step if you are missing all your teeth in one or both arches (jaws). If you’re just missing a couple of teeth, complete dentures may not be an appropriate option. Consider a dental bridge instead. If you’re missing several teeth, but still have some of your natural teeth, getting complete dentures near you may be an option if you have some reason to believe you may lose those other teeth over a period of time and you’re willing to have them extracted to make room for complete dentures. If those remaining teeth are still healthy, though, a partial denture may be a better and less invasive choice.

Are your missing teeth affecting your lifestyle or health?

You may be a good candidate if your tooth loss is negatively affecting your health or lifestyle. If, for example, you’ve lost a great deal of weight because you can’t eat properly or — ironically — gained a great deal of weight because toothlessness forces you to eat large amounts of unhealthy food, make an appointment with a denture clinic near you to investigate the possibility of getting dentures.

Weight loss, weight gain and related health challenges aren’t the only ways that tooth loss can affect your life. Your enjoyment of life is at least as essential. Do you find yourself isolating yourself from others out of embarrassment? Do you shrink from intimate moments or avoid the camera at special events? If you’ve lost too much when it comes to the enjoyment of your life when it comes to tooth loss, ask the staff at Oliver Family Dental to assess you for the appropriateness of getting dentures of one kind or another.

Is your mouth healthy enough?

Complete dentures for your lower jaw will float on the bottom of your mouth and the gums on your lower jaw. Complete dentures for your upper jaw will stay in place on the roof of your mouth and upper gums by suction. If your gum tissues are not healthy enough due to periodontal disease to support your dentures or if you have tooth decay in teeth that will remain in your mouth, your dentist will recommend that you receive treatment to address that tooth decay and periodontal disease before being fit with dentures. Other types of dentures — partial, flexible and implant-supported — present different challenges and raise different issues. Your dentist will explain them all and answer all your questions to help you to choose the best solution for your needs.

We know you want to replace your missing teeth as soon as you can, but there’s nothing worse than making a bad decision fast. Don’t be in a rush, but take your time to get all the advice you need to make a well-informed decision.