If dentures have replaced all your teeth, dental visits may seem a bit pointless to you. Why see a dentist when there’s no “natural” smile to keep healthy? Even so, the truth is that you should still attend dental checkups when you have full dentures. These appointments serve several crucial roles for mouths filled with artificial teeth. If you want the details, here are four reasons those with full dentures should attend dental checkups.
Protection of Gums
Though your natural teeth are gone, dental checkups still maintain your gums. Attending them keeps your mouth’s pink tissues healthy enough to support dentures.
Complete tooth loss makes your gums more vulnerable than ever. Without natural teeth in the way, harmful bacteria can more easily reach and infect your gumline. That means skipping your checkups would put you at risk of gum disease, which would make using your prosthetic teeth tricky.
Detection of Rare Issues
Dental checkups can’t prevent tooth decay when you lack natural teeth. However, the visits would detect – and thus protect you from – rarer oral issues.
Don’t forget that rare oral conditions and accidents can occur. For instance, denture wearers may develop persistent pain or discomfort in their jaw. Life-threatening oral cancer is also something to watch for, especially as dentures can increase the risk of it. Given these facts, you’d do well to attend dental appointments to rule out rare problems and preserve your oral health.
Adjustment of Dentures’ Fit
You know how dentures become ill-fitting over time? Well, dental visits can adjust your appliances’ fit so that they continue to work well.
Without stimulation from your natural teeth, your jaw slowly erodes and loses tissue. This process slowly changes the shape of your mouth, causing your dentures to become ill-fitting. That said, dentists can adjust a denture’s fit through relines and similar repair work. Visiting them often will thus ensure your restorations continue to fit snugly.
Preservation of Dentures’ Results
Even a denture’s artificial teeth can develop problems. Thankfully, dental visits can correct those issues to ensure your prosthetics last a long time.
You may find it surprising, but dentures have limited durability. These appliances can develop chips, cracks, and fractures over time that make them less effective. If you were to skip your checkups, such damage would eventually cause your dentures to fail. The best way to avoid that outcome is to attend appointments often.
Dental checkups when you have full dentures are valuable. So, remember to see your dentist at least every six months!
About the Practice
Nexus Dental of Lewisville is based in Lewisville, TX. Led by Dr. Niki Jayswal, our practice highly prioritizes comfortable, convenient, and comprehensive dentistry. We thus offer a wide range of tailored dental treatments, from simple checkups and cleanings to replacement teeth like dentures. Whatever your family’s smiles need, trust us to provide it for you! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (972)-366-4452.