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Dentures – Houston, TX

A Tried-and-True Solution for Tooth Loss

Closeup of senior man smiling with dentures

Advanced tooth loss is an issue plaguing over 35 million Americans. Fortunately, if you fall into this statistic, there is a tried-and-true solution that can restore your smile and your bite: dentures. This lifelike tooth-replacement option is custom-made to address your unique dental needs, effectively turning back the clock and restoring your youthful appearance. To learn more about this smile-rebuilding solution, keep reading or get in touch with our team to schedule your initial consultation.

Why Choose Palmer Dental Group of Houston for Dentures?

  • Attentive Dentist Focused on Personalized Care
  • Quality, Reliable Partial and Full Dentures
  • Inviting Staff and Welcoming Environment

What Are Dentures?

Closeup of full dentures next to dental tools

Simply put, dentures are a restorative dentistry service designed to address advanced tooth loss. Whether you are missing several teeth throughout your mouth or don’t have any natural ones left, a combination of prosthetic teeth and a gum-colored base is used to fill in the gaps in your smile and restore your bite force. The result? A full, healthy smile that is as functional as it is beautiful.

What Does a Good Denture Candidate Look Like?

Patient and dental team smiling during dental checkup

If your smile, bite, or speech is being negatively impacted by gaps in your smile, then you may be a candidate for dentures. The best way to find out for certain is the schedule an appointment with our dentist in Houston, Dr. Gregory Palmer. This visit will allow him to conduct a comprehensive oral exam to determine your candidacy. If an untreated dental concern, like gingivitis, stands in your way, the appropriate restorative care can be worked into your treatment plan. If your oral health is in good shape, then you’ll be one step closer to a complete smile.

The Difference Between Full and Partial Dentures

Dentist holding model of partial denture

“Dentures” is often used as an all-encompassing term. In reality, there are multiple types available, including partial and full dentures in Houston. Partial dentures are ideal for patients who are missing several permanent teeth but still have a few natural ones intact as well. On the other hand, full dentures are designed to replace an entire arch of teeth. Although they both use custom-made prosthetic teeth and a natural-looking base, they are different in how they are held in place. Partials clasp onto your natural teeth while full alternatives are held in place through natural suction or denture adhesive.

Tips for Caring for Your Dentures

Dentures soaking in glass of water

Dentures can last for 10+ years with proper care, which is why following the below best practices is essential:

  • Use the right tools: Utilizing a hard-bristled toothbrush or regular toothpaste can result in premature wear on your dentures. To prevent that from happening, use the right tools and avoid using household cleaners, like bleach, to clean them.
  • Handle them with care: The last thing you want is for your dentures to sustain a crack or split into multiple pieces. Therefore, make sure to always wrap them in a clean towel when transporting them or brush them over a sink filled with water.
  • Attend your adjustment appointments: Since dentures can’t preserve your jawbone, they will need to be adjusted routinely. Neglecting to do so can cause embarrassing slippage when you eat, laugh, or talk.
  • Avoid hard, crunchy, and sticky foods: Like your natural teeth, dentures aren’t indestructible. So, avoid foods that can cause them to crack, chip, or otherwise break.
  • Soak them overnight: Placing your dentures in a glass of water or dentist-recommended cleaner overnight can help preserve their shape and keep them clean.

Denture FAQs

When getting dentures for the first time, it’s important to ask about anything you don’t understand or are unsure of. It takes time to fully adjust to new teeth, and knowing as much as possible about the process beforehand can make the transition easier. Look over the common questions listed below and see if you can find any information that addresses your specific concerns. If not, call us today to set up a consultation with Dr. Palmer to learn more.

How Long Will It Take to Get Dentures?

If you need to have teeth pulled before receiving dentures (which is likely if you are getting full dentures), then you’ll typically have to wait around six to eight weeks. This will allow your gums to heal properly, and it will give us a chance to make sure that the dentures you end up receiving properly fit in your mouth. In some cases, you can get immediate dentures on the same day as the extraction. This will let you start getting used to eating and speaking with new teeth right away, but you should be prepared to have your dentures adjusted once your mouth heals and the underlying shape of the bone and gums changes.

Is It Okay to Sleep with Dentures?

While technically it’s possible to sleep while wearing your dentures, it’s not recommended past the first 24 hours. The pressure that they put on your gums affects circulation and can lead to irritation as well as accelerated bone loss. Moreover, the dark, moist space beneath dentures provides an area for bacteria to breed. Because of this, wearing dentures for too long is highly associated with elevated plaque levels as well as a risk for pneumonia and certain other health conditions. As such, it’s best to remove your dentures at night so that your gums have a chance to rest and so that you can maintain optimal oral hygiene.

Will It Be Hard to Talk with Dentures?

Over time, you’ll be able to speak clearly and fluently with your dentures. That said, it will take your mouth a while to adjust to their presence since it’s used to speaking with natural teeth. It’s not uncommon to notice a lisp during the initial adjustment period. Practicing speaking by reading aloud and repeating difficult-to-pronounce words can go a long way towards helping you overcome any initial speech problems that dentures are causing.

What Sort of Diet Can I Enjoy with Dentures?

You can enjoy many different foods with dentures, but some meals will always give you a difficult time. Peanut butter and other sticky foods have a tendency to pull dentures out of place while hard foods like unsliced apples are prone to damaging or dislodging them. You can enjoy tough meats like steak and pork chops, but it’s best to have them thoroughly tenderized and cut into small pieces first; otherwise, the excessive amount of chewing they require could put an awful lot of stress on your dentures as well as your gums.