Dentures have come a long way since George Washington's time. Today, they're more comfortable, more secure and more lifelike than our first president's famous hippopotamus ivory appliance.

But one thing hasn't changed: Dentures still require regular care and cleaning. And one of the best things you can do for both your dentures and your health is to take them out at night when you go to bed.

Modern dentures are often so comfortable to wear, it's easy to forget you have them in your mouth. But setting a daily habit of taking them out when you turn in for the night will help you avoid a few potential problems.

For one, wearing dentures 24/7 can increase your risk for both oral and general diseases. Constant denture wear can cause greater accumulations of dental plaque, a thin biofilm responsible for gum disease and inflammation. The increase in bacteria could also make you more susceptible to pneumonia and other diseases.

Wearing your dentures non-stop can also worsen bone loss, a common problem associated with dentures. Normally, the biting forces generated when we chew stimulate bone growth in the jaw. A person loses much of this stimulation when they lose teeth, resulting in gradual bone loss.

Dentures can't replace this lost stimulation, and the pressure they exert on the jaw's bony ridges they rest upon can accelerate the process of bone loss. In time, any bone loss could affect the denture's fit as the bone beneath them gradually shrinks. By taking them out at night, you can help slow the pace of bone loss.

In addition to giving them and your mouth a rest at night, be sure you're also keeping your dentures clean: Take them out and rinse them off after meals and brush them with a small amount of antibacterial soap (not toothpaste) at least once a day. And don't forget to brush your gums and tongue every day with a soft toothbrush (different from your denture brush) to further reduce dental plaque.

If you would like more information on denture care, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Sleeping in Dentures.”

Since as many as 26 percent of older U.S. adults have lost all their teeth, there are a large number Americans who wear full removable dentures, also known as false teeth. You may be one of them.

How much do you know about dentures? See if you can answer the following questions connected with lost teeth and dentures.

1. Which word refers to the loss of all permanent teeth?
1. Atrophy
2. Prosthetic
3. Edentulism
4. Periodontal
2. What is the name given to the bone that surrounds, supports, and connects to your teeth?
1. Periodontal
2. Metacarpal
3. Tibia
4. Alveolar
3. What tissue attaches the teeth to the bone that supports your teeth?
1. Periodontal Ligament
2. Periodontal Muscle
3. Parietal Ligament
4. Achilles Tendon
4. When a person loses teeth, the stimulus that keeps the underlying bone healthy is also lost, and the bone resorbs or melts away. Pressure transmitted by dentures through the gums to the bone can accentuate this process, which is called
1. Dystrophy
2. Atrophy
3. Hypertrophy
4. None of the above
5. A device that replaces a missing body part such as an arm or leg, eye, tooth or teeth is referred to as
1. Robotic
2. Imaginary
3. Exotic
4. Prosthetic
6. When teeth have to be extracted, bone loss can be minimized by bone grafting. Bone grafting materials are usually a sterile powdered form of
1. Allograft (human tissue)
2. Xenograft (animal tissue)
3. Both
4. Neither
7. Wearers of full dentures must re-learn to manipulate the jaw joints, ligaments, nerves, and muscles to work differently in order to speak, bite, and chew. The name for this system of interconnected body mechanisms, originating with the root words for “mouth” and “jaw,” is
1. Boca biting
2. Stomatognathic
3. Periodontal
4. None of the above
8. A type of plastic that is artistically formed and colored to make prosthetic teeth and gums look natural is called
1. methyl methacrylate
2. beta barbital
3. rayon
4. polystyrene
9. Success in denture wearing depends on
1. The skill of the dentist
2. The talent of the laboratory technician
3. The willing collaboration of the patient
4. All of the above

Answers: 1c, 2d, 3a, 4b, 5d, 6c, 7b, 8a, 9d. How well did you do? If you have additional questions about full removable dentures, don’t hesitate to ask us.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment or to discuss your questions about dentures. You can also learn more by reading the Dear Doctor article, “Removable Full Dentures.”

People have depended on dentures for generations—and they still do. That's because they work, both in restoring dental function and a smile marred by missing teeth.

But they have one major drawback related to bone health. That's because living bone has a life cycle: as older cells die, new ones form to take their place. The pressure generated when we chew stimulates this growth. But when this stimulus goes missing along with the teeth, the cell replacement rate slows and bone volume and density gradually diminishes.

Traditional dentures can't transmit this chewing pressure stimulus. And because they rest directly on the gum ridges, they can adversely affect the underlying bone and actually accelerate bone loss.

But implant technology potentially solves this bone loss problem with dentures by using implants rather than the gums to support them. It's a two-fold benefit: first, the implants relieve much of the irritation to the gums and bone caused by traditional dentures. Primarily, though, the implants themselves can slow or even stop continuing bone loss.

Most implants are made of titanium, not only because it's compatible with the body, but also because it has an affinity with bone. Over time bone cells grow on the titanium post imbedded in the jawbone. This process not only creates stability and durability, it can improve bone health.

In recent years dentists have incorporated implants with dentures to create two exciting treatment options. With one option, the dentist installs two or more implants in the jaw, to which a specially fitted removable denture can be attached. You would still have the ease of removing the denture for cleaning, while gaining greater stability and a reduced risk of bone loss.

The other option is a fixed denture (or bridge) attached permanently to implants. For this option, a patient's jawbone must be adequate and healthy enough to support at least four to six implants. A fixed denture is also often costlier and more complex than a removable denture, but it can feel more like real teeth. It also promotes better bone health too.

Although both options are more expensive than traditional dentures, they can pay dividends for long-term dental health. Implants could help you enjoy your new dentures and resulting smile for a long time to come.

If you would like more information on dental implant-supported restorations, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Overdentures & Fixed Dentures.”

Edentulism, the loss of all of a person’s teeth, is more than an appearance problem. As one in four Americans over 65 can attest, total tooth loss can lead to emotional suffering, social embarrassment and a lack of nutrition caused by limited food choices.

But there are solutions like the removable denture, an effective dental restoration for more than a century. In its current advanced form, the removable denture is truly a functional, affordable and attractive way to restore lost teeth.

Creating an effective denture begins first by taking detailed impressions of a patient’s gum ridges. We use the measurements obtained from this process to create a plastic resin base colored to resemble the natural gums.  Using old photos and other resources documenting how the patient looked with teeth, we choose the best size and shape of porcelain teeth and then position them onto the base.

Finally, we fine-tune the dentures the first time they’re in the patient’s mouth to make sure they have a secure fit and a balanced bite when the jaws come together. We also want to be sure the dentures are attractive and blend well with other facial features. The result:  a new set of teeth that can do the job of the old ones and look nearly as real and attractive.

Dentures, though, do have one major drawback: they can’t stop bone loss, a common consequence of missing teeth. In fact, they may even accelerate bone loss due to the pressure they bring to bear on the gum ridges. Continuing bone loss could eventually cause their once secure fit to slacken, making them less functional and much more uncomfortable to wear.

But a recent innovation could put the brakes on bone loss for a denture wearer. By incorporating small implants imbedded at various places along the gums, a denture with compatible fittings connects securely with the implants to support the denture rather than the gum ridges. This not only relieves pressure on the gums, but the titanium within the implants attracts bone cells and stimulates their growth.

Thanks to this and other modern advances, dentures continue to be a solid choice for tooth replacement. Not only can they restore a lost smile, they can improve overall health and well-being too.

If you would like more information on dental restorations for missing teeth, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine article “Removable Full Dentures.”