When you finally receive your dentures, you smile fully for the first time in a long time. You feel like a million bucks, and you can’t imagine losing this feeling again. Unfortunately, dentures don’t last forever, and there will come a time when you’ll need to replace them to hold onto your new smile.
But when you live with your teeth every day, it can be challenging to notice little differences. How do you know when you need to replace your dentures? Look out for these clear signs!
Your Dentures Are 5 Years Old
Traditional dentures come with a limited lifespan of about 5 years. During that time, your jawbone is slowly changing shape as it loses density. Your dentist can make small adjustments to your denture to keep up with these changes every couple of years, but at a certain point, it’s better and simpler to get a brand-new set of dentures.
If, however, you were to get implant dentures, your replacement teeth’s lifespan becomes significantly longer. In fact, implant dentures can last 25 years or even longer!
Your Dentures Feel Loose
Whether relying on suction or clasps, your dentures are meant to fit snugly within your mouth, enabling you to talk and smile comfortably. However, dentures that need to be replaced can slide or feel insecure, which can negatively impact your confidence.
By updating your old dentures, you don’t have to shy away from talking in front of others, laughing, or smiling because your prosthetic teeth will be more secure. Of course, if you opt to have your dentures secured to implants, you never have to worry about slippage again.
You Can’t Easily Eat Certain Foods Anymore
Although normal dentures tend to restore only about 25 percent of your original biting strength, your ability to chew certain kinds of foods may diminish, even if you cut them into smaller pieces, as your dentures near the time they should be replaced. For instance, you may struggle to eat steak, raw vegetables like carrots, or apples. As a result, you may have to consume more processed and less healthy foods that are softer on your teeth.
Replacing your dentures can help you continue to enjoy a more varied diet, and choosing implant dentures could enable you to eat even more. These replacements usually restore about 75 percent of your biting power, which allows you to have the foods you love.
In the end, if you visit your dentist regularly, they can keep a close eye on your dentures as well and help you know when the time is right to replace your prosthetic teeth. When you pay attention to these signs and your dentist’s advice, you can always have that special feeling of a confident smile!
About the Practice
Carlson Dental Group is proud to have locations in Jacksonville—one on Riverside Avenue and the other on Bartram Park Boulevard. In addition to traditional, customized dentures, our three dentists also offer dental implants, which can improve dentures according to individual needs. If you think your dentures need to be replaced, you can schedule an appointment with us online here or call one of our offices.