Love your new smile!

Very often we forget how important our teeth are and very rarely do we ever think about what life would be like without them. Sometimes we tend to skip a floss here and there or we don’t make the time to visit the dentist for our dental check-up.

Some of us take our teeth for granted and always assume that we will always have them but what we fail to realise is that if we don’t take proper and relevant care of our teeth, they will eventually start to fall off.

In the unfortunate event of this happening, our dental professionals at Byron Family Dental can help you with our range of restorative treatments, which also includes dentures.

What are dentures

Dentures are removable teeth replacements which are also known as false teeth. These devices replace teeth that have fallen off and are supported by the soft and hard tissues surrounding the oral cavity.

They are made from hard resin which is not as strong as your natural teeth, but strong enough to help you eat some of the foods that you love.

Since dentures are quite fragile, they may chip or crack easily and will need to be replaced. Therefore, it is very important to handle your dentures with care and keep them well maintained.

Annual visits to the dentist for a dental check-up can help you maintain your dentures, as well as, your oral health.

The two main types of dentures:

The two main types of dentures includes:

  • Full dentures – if all of your teeth have fallen off, these removable dentures that are used to replace all of your natural teeth.
  • Partial dentures – we recommend partial dentures for the following reasons:
  1. If you have one or a few teeth that needs replacing.
  2. If your natural teeth are too weak to support dental devices like dental bridges.
  3. If you have gaps that need to be filled because one or more of your teeth have fallen off. This can prevent your existing natural teeth from moving into those gaps.

How do dentures work

  • The dentist will first determine which type of dentures is the most suitable type for you.
  • Once the dentist chooses a suitable denture for you, impressions of your mouth will then be taken to have the denture custom made specifically for you.
  • Full dentures would consist of a flesh-like base that is made to fit over your gums.
  • Partial dentures could have a plastic base or a metal framework which are secured by the use of clasps which are placed around the natural teeth.

How to clean dentures

  1. Rinse your dentures after every meal.
  2. Makes sure you clean your mouth, tongue, palate and inside your cheeks with a soft toothbrush before putting your dentures back on.
  3. Stand over a towel that is laid out in the sink while cleaning your dentures. They can break if you drop them.
  4. Brush your dentures every day with a toothbrush.
  5. Avoid brushing your dentures too hard. They are quite fragile.
  6. In order to keep your dentures moist, use a container filled with a denture cleaning solution and soak your dentures overnight. This will also remove any excess waste that is still on the denture after brushing thoroughly.
  7. Rinse your dentures the next morning before putting them back into your mouth.
  8. Visiting the dentist regularly, will give the dentist a chance to clean your dentures properly, and examine your dentures for any forms of damage.

Foods to avoid when you have dentures

Hard foods:

While you have dentures please try to avoid the following types of foods in order to save it from becoming damaged: Nuts, raw carrot sticks, popcorn, corn etc.

Chewy foods:

Tough meats like pork chops, steak and ribs should be avoided.

Foods that are sticky:

Try to avoid foods that are sticky such as, peanut butter, gummy candy, toffee, caramel or any other food that is chewy or sticky. Sticky foods may cause your dentures to move out of its place, or could cause pieces of food to get stuck beneath your dentures.

Foods that contain seeds and nuts:

Any food containing nuts or seeds should be avoided while your dentures are on. Pieces of the nuts or seeds could become stuck in your dentures.

Dentures in Byron Bay

Would you like to eat the foods you love but can’t because you have many missing teeth? At Byron Family Dental we offer you different types of dentures to restore your smile. Book an appointment with our team today!