HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania--With the life expectancy rate in the United States steadily increasing, Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) advises that losing teeth is not a normal part of the aging process. Although a necessary treatment option for some people, dentures should not be considered an inevitable fact of growing older. Even though dentures may look like natural teeth, they cannot replace the real thing.

Through proper oral health-care practices, such as brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing daily and visiting your dentist regularly, keeping your teeth and smile healthy throughout your lifetime is achievable.

However, through accidents, periodontal disease or for other reasons, teeth may fall out. Replacing missing teeth is an important aspect of maintaining oral health. Sometimes dentures are the only feasible treatment option to protect your oral and overall health. Remaining teeth will drift out of position into the open space, which can damage mouth tissues and lead to an increased risk of periodontal disease. Without support from dentures, facial muscles sag and ordinary tasks like speaking and eating become difficult.

If this is the case, your dentist will try to save as many of your natural teeth as possible and use them to support a bridge, overdenture or removable partial denture. If it is not possible to use your remaining teeth as support structures, your dentist will probably recommend a complete denture or an implant-supported denture.

Clicking, slipping, gum irritation, odor and staining are signs of ill fitting or improper home maintenance of dentures. Regular dental visits and following your dentist’s home-care instructions ensure your dentures retain a natural appearance.

Many myths exist about wearing dentures that have prevented people from attaining their best oral health. For a free brochure containing the facts on dentures, please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to PDA, Attn: Denture Facts, P.O. Box 3341, Harrisburg, PA 17105.

SOURCE: Pennsylvania Dental Association

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