Dentures Clearwater, FL
Restore the Function of Your Smile with Dentures
Missing teeth doesn’t just harm your self-esteem. It can also make everyday things like smiling, eating a nutritious diet, and speaking clearly a challenge. Fortunately, dentures offer a durable, lifelike solution for patients missing one or more permanent teeth. Available in partial, full, or implant dentures, these lifelike prosthetics can help you enjoy a wider range of foods and give you the confidence to converse and share your gorgeous grin with the world. Here’s what you need to know about this affordable, life-changing tooth-loss solution.
Why Choose Suncoast Dental Arts For Dentures?
- Insurance Welcome & Flexible Financing Accepted
- Customized for Each Patient
- Dentist with Impeccable Attention to Detail
Who's a Good Candidate for Dentures?
Almost everyone with missing teeth can be an excellent candidate for dentures, but the only way to know for sure if you qualify is to schedule a consultation at Suncoast Dental Arts. During this appointment, Dr. Cannady will carefully examine your mouth and evaluate your medical history to determine the best way to replace your lost teeth. It may be possible for people who aren’t ready for dentures to become great candidates after receiving preliminary treatments like gum disease therapy. Here’s a quick look at who dentures can help from the friendly team at our Clearwater office.
Effects of Missing Teeth
Tooth loss is a common problem that can happen for reasons like dental decay, oral injuries, and untreated gum disease, and neglecting to address the issue can lead to a host of unpleasant consequences like:
- Facial sagging
- Diminished self-esteem
- Trouble speaking
- Difficulty eating
- Uneven enamel erosion
- Dental misalignments
- Jawbone atrophy
- Further tooth loss
To prevent issues like these, the American Dental Association recommends replacing lost teeth as soon as possible.
What Qualifies You for Dentures?
Effects of Missing Teeth
Dentures can be a fantastic option for patients who have experienced extensive tooth loss or who suffer from severe dental sensitivity or advanced decay as long as they have healthy gum tissue and jawbones. A suitable denture candidate will also be ready to commit to a rigorous regimen of oral hygiene and appliance maintenance so their mouth and their restorations can stay in excellent shape. The best type of denture for you will depend on how many teeth you are missing. Partial dentures can replace several teeth throughout the mouth, and full dentures can restore complete dental arches. Traditional dentures can be an affordable way to restore a smile, but implant dentures can deliver superior chewing power and longevity.
Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options
Effects of Missing Teeth
While dentures can be an excellent way to restore lost teeth, some patients may be served better with another tooth replacement appliance. We offer solutions like:
- Dental bridges: These devices can be great for patients who are missing one or several teeth in a row. They consist of one or more artificial teeth supported by two dental crowns or implants, and they require patients to have healthy remaining teeth and gum tissue.
- Dental implants: These titanium pieces are designed to be surgically inserted into the jawbone and fused with its structure through the natural process of osseointegration. This long-lasting solution is more costly than traditional dentures and requires patients to have healthy gums and jawbones.
Types of Dentures
There are three main types of dentures: partial, full, and implant. To determine which option is best for you, you’ll need to schedule a consultation with Dr. Cannady. At this time, he’ll review your oral health, take impressions of your mouth, and determine which type of denture is best for your smile.
Partial Dentures
Even if they’re not visible when you smile, having large gaps in your arches between your existing healthy teeth can make eating and speaking difficult. Partial dentures can work as your replacement teeth to make it easier for your mouth to function properly. These prosthetics consist of an acrylic base that attaches via metal clips, and replacement teeth (crowns) and can be used to fill in missing spots to make everyday tasks like conversing and chewing easy again.
Full Dentures
Full dentures consist of an acrylic base and either porcelain or acrylic crowns. They stay in place on your arches using natural suction and look and feel just like your natural teeth. The base of your new dentures is custom fit to your mouth, so they not only resemble your natural gum tissue, but they also stay in place securely so you can enjoy a wider range of foods and speak and smile confidently.
Implant Dentures
For patients looking for a more permanent solution to tooth loss, implant dentures may be the answer. If you’re one of the many patients that aren’t completely satisfied with traditional dentures and are searching for something that’s more secure and longer lasting, these prosthetics were designed to stay in place until removed by a dentist. While the implant posts can last a lifetime, the prosthetic teeth can be replaced as needed but could last for decades longer than traditional dentures. Better still, because they’re anchored to your jawbone, implant dentures provide greater biteforce than traditional dentures, so you can enjoy a wider range of nutritious, delicious foods.
The Benefits of Dentures
Dentures are a proven solution for tooth loss and remain one of the most popular treatment options for rebuilding smiles due to their many advantages. These versatile restorations can replace some or all of your missing teeth, improving your appearance and enhancing your smile’s functionality simultaneously.
Continue reading to learn more about the many benefits of choosing dentures, and please don’t hesitate to contact us for additional information or to schedule an appointment.
Psychological Benefits
One of the first things people notice about you is the quality of your smile, and plenty of patients who are missing teeth worry that they’ll be judged for the changes to their appearance resulting from tooth loss. Unfortunately, if you’re overly anxious, you might avoid spending time with others, which can detract from your daily quality of life.
Thankfully, your dentures are carefully customized to look and feel as lifelike as possible, boosting your confidence in your looks and improving your ability to eat and speak more naturally.
Clearer Enunciation
You rely on two complete arches to form the different sounds needed to communicate clearly, and gaps in your grin can lead to a lisp, slur, or other changes that can hinder your enunciation.
Meanwhile, your dentures function as artificial teeth so you can once again clearly pronounce the myriad sounds needed to speak with others. Keep in mind that it might take your tongue and the other supporting muscles in your mouth about a month to acclimate to your restoration, but with patience and practice, you can overcome the changes to your speech patterns.
Improves Nutrition
Tooth loss can also affect your oral health because it’s so closely connected with your dietary decisions. For example, some patients missing teeth try to stick to softer foods that are easier to eat but are often less healthy, which can contribute to malnutrition. You might also swallow overly large pieces of food that are difficult to swallow or digest, which can lead to gastrointestinal concerns.
Wearing dentures returns a portion of your original bite force so that you can enjoy a wider variety of wholesome meals to support your oral and overall well-being.
Preserves Oral Health
Dental drifting is a common concerns for patients who have natural teeth remaining because they’re prone to shifting out of their proper alignment to close the empty spaces left behind. This can wear down your enamel prematurely and cause cavities, disease, or injuries.
Wearing your restoration daily helps keep everything in its rightful place to avoid potential problems.
Expands Opportunities
Did you know that, according to one 2019 study, the probability of being employed has been negatively associated with poor dental health? Rebuilding your smile with dentures can enhance your appearance and abilities, helping you look and feel like your most attractive, self-assured self. This, in turn, can lead to better professional achievements, a more engaging social calendar, and deeper relationships.