Dentures – Mercerville, NJ
Enjoy Life with a Full Set of Beautiful Teeth
Going through life with any number of missing teeth can be quite a challenge; not only is your ability to speak clearly impacted, but you’ll struggle to smile with confidence and engage with others meaningfully. It also goes without saying that eating will be challenging! Dentures are one of the best, most tried-and-true options for rebuilding your smile, no matter the extent of your tooth loss. To learn more about these incredible solutions or to schedule a consultation with our office, feel free to contact our office today.
Why Choose Dr. Brian Lavery Family and Cosmetic Dentistry for Dentures?
- In-House Membership Plan for Huge Savings
- Insurance-Friendly and Flexible Financing Options
- Dental Implant-Retained Dentures Available
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dentures?
Patients who are missing several teeth in one or both arches are normally good candidates for dentures, but you’ll need to come in for a consultation with Dr. Lavery and our team first. During this appointment, we’ll carefully inspect your mouth and confirm that you’re in decent oral health. Then, we’ll discuss the extent of your tooth loss with you as well as your lifestyle preferences to determine which type of dentures best suit your needs. In any case, we recommend that missing teeth be replaced sooner rather than later, as prolonging treatment may end up leading to further tooth loss down the road.
Types of Dentures
Dentures are incredibly versatile, and a solution exists for virtually every degree of tooth loss. Based on your circumstances and preferences, our team will recommend partial dentures, full dentures, or implant dentures:
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are designed to replace multiple teeth located along the same arch. By attaching a clasp to your remaining natural teeth, the gum-colored base can rest stable along the gumline and allow the replacement teeth to fill the gap(s). Partials are also removable, meaning that they’re fairly easy to maintain and clean.
Full Dentures
Full dentures are designed to restore an entire arch of missing teeth or even both arches, meaning they can assist patients suffering from total tooth loss. They rely on adhesives, suction, and muscle control to remain in place, and they consist of a gum-colored base combined with replacement teeth designed to mimic your natural ones. Like partials, full dentures are removable for convenient cleaning and care.
Implant Dentures
Implant dentures combine the benefits of both traditional dentures and dental implants, which are considered revolutionary in the world of dentistry. Using small titanium posts that are surgically placed beneath the gumline, we can restore the missing roots of the lost teeth, in addition to their chewing surfaces with the help of custom-made dentures. Assuming you take care of your dental implants, this option has the potential to last for a lifetime.
The Benefits of Dentures
Dentures have all kinds of unique benefits to offer, including:
- They effectively restore your bite, allowing you to eat all kinds of foods that would otherwise give you difficulty with missing teeth.
- Dentures are highly versatile and can be customized to address any number of missing teeth; not to mention, they look highly lifelike and function just like your original teeth.
- It is not difficult at all to clean and maintain dentures; you’ll just need to rinse and brush them routinely after meals and remove them to soak them overnight.
- Wearing dentures can help preserve your facial structure, granting you a more youthful appearance.
Denture FAQs
How are dentures customized?
Your new teeth are carefully customized at each stage of their design and creation to be as one-of-a-kind as the smile you were born with. This starts from the very beginning, when our team makes accurate impressions of your teeth and gums that are used to ensure your restoration fits like a glove.
Then, it’s made with resilient materials that can be made to resemble your natural connective tissues and enamel. Typically, dentures have a gum-colored, acrylic base that contains the necessary number of replacement teeth, which are usually made from durable ceramic that is customized to match the size, shape, and shade of your natural teeth.
Can I sleep with my dentures in?
Some patients want to know if it’s considered safe or acceptable to keep their dentures in their mouths 24/7, including at night while they’re asleep. While doing this once or twice might not cause immediate damage, it’s usually not suggested.
Your new teeth rely on a firm suction against your connective tissues to remain in place all day. This reduces their circulation, which increases the risk of developing sores or triggering an infection, such as gum disease. As a result, Dr. Lavery usually recommends taking them out and placing them in a glass of room-temperature water or special soaking solution to help kill germs while retaining their shape while you rest overnight. This also gives your mouth a much-needed break to rest and recover.
Am I too young to get dentures?
Many people associate dentures with aging because tooth loss is more common among seniors. For instance, sources report that an estimated 66% of adults who are between 40 and 64 years old have lost at least one tooth, compared to only about 33% of those who are 20 to 39 years old.
But periodontitis, or advanced gum disease, is the leading cause of permanent tooth loss and can affect people of all ages. Other common causes, such as severe tooth decay and physical trauma, can also affect younger patients. Thankfully, there’s no age limit or restriction on getting dentures. Dr. Lavery will examine your condition and provide an appropriate treatment recommendation based on your unique needs and circumstances.
Will dentures impact how I speak?
Your restoration is made to fit like a glove, but it can still take your tongue and the other sensitive tissues in your mouth about a month to acclimate to its presence in your mouth. Some patients experience temporary changes to their speech patterns, such as a lisp or slur, during this transition period.
Fortunately, this effect is usually short-lived and can be overcome with enough time, patience, and practice. You might be able to speed up the process by reading out loud to yourself at home so you can target challenging words or sounds to rehearse until you feel more confident in your enunciation.