Replacing the missing teeth in your smile is important. Yes, restoring lost teeth will help your self-esteem and enhance your appearance, however there are other benefits. Restoring your teeth will help you to speak more clearly, and chew your food more effectively. Additionally, gaps in your smile will allow your other teeth to drift out of alignment, and provide places for plaque to accumulate and bacteria to breed.
Dentures are an economical and effective way to replace one or more missing teeth. Once you have your new dentures, they may feel bulky and odd in your mouth. While there is a period of adjustment, if your dentures are consistently causing you pain or creating pressure, you should contact the dentist to have them adjusted. After first receiving your dentures, you may need to return for a later appointmentment to have them lined.
For a while, you may have to cut your food into smaller pieces as you learn to eat with your new dentures. It may also help to cut your food into long strips, and chew with both sides of your mouth. Some words may prove difficult to pronounce at first. If that is the case with you, practice pronouncing them, or try speaking them slower for a while.
Over time, the shape of your mouth changes, and your dentures may change as well. If you start noticing changes in how your dentures fit, contact your dentist to have them adjusted or to have new ones made.
If you are missing a tooth, or several tooth, our dentists, Dr. John Tortora and Dr. Myrna Eskandar will be happy to give you an exam and a consultation and discuss your options with you. If you live in the Brick, New Jersey area, you can call 732-295-1616 to make an appointment at John Tortora, DDS. We look forward to helping you restore your smile!