No two denturists are the same. If you have been wearing dentures for a while, you know that no two sets of dentures are the same. Finding a quality, experienced denturist can seriously impact the comfort of your dentures. You do not have to deal with loose plates, gums that are rubbed raw, distorted speech, and the inability to eat your favorite foods. If you have any of these problems, there are a few things that you can try before replacing your dentures. Use what I have learned over my 15 years of wearing dentures to find a perfect fit and optimum comfort in your dentures.
finding comfort when wearing dentures
Risks Presented By Un-Errupted Wisdom Teeth
Priscilla Hansen
Modern dentistry tells us that wisdom teeth should be removed before they begin breaking the skin, but it's easy to overlook if you're not clear on the reasoning. Left over as a vestigial trace of our evolutionary past, wisdom teeth developed as a replacement set of molars when the original set invariably wore down. A less harsh lifestyle, the advancement of dental treatments and a diet consisting of easier to chew food has made this anthropological remnant obsolete, but there are even better reasons to have your spare molars removed before they punch through your gum line.
Keep it in Line
One of the most urgent reasons to undergo surgical extraction is the damage that developing wisdom teeth can do to the alignment of your other teeth. Regardless of the angle at which wisdom teeth erupt, there's only so much room on your jaw for teeth to take up. If existing real estate is already occupied, then your wisdom teeth will wreck the results of costly orthodontia, making room however they can.
Tenderness when you chew or talk, or the feeling that your teeth simply aren't sitting properly against each other are all signs that the pressure is on. The longer you allow your wisdom teeth to develop the more pronounced the shift in your other teeth will be. Getting a diagnosis and a surgical evaluation early will minimize the impact on your smile and your eating habits.
Something is Rotten
If left to develop long enough, eventually your wisdom teeth will break the gum line, but can take years to fully erupt. As a result, they'll remain just below the gum line where food and liquid can get at them, but toothbrushes simply can't reach. Left to stew in these juices, your wisdom teeth will begin developing cavities, affecting the nerve in your jaw and providing easy access for that decay to affect adjacent teeth.
The long term effect of leaving your wisdom teeth in place can be dramatic, allowing a cavity to spread from one tooth to any it touches, including those above it. It's far better to undergo surgery to remove a few unnecessary vestiges from eons ago than to lose teeth to inaction. Not only will the impact on your existing teeth be reduced, but each tooth you preserve is an additional charge you won't have to pay on your final dental bill.
Wisdom tooth extraction is something of a rite of passage left over from our days relying on our teeth as mankind's first multi-tool. Don't put this off any longer than you can help it, and if your teen has started to complain about discomfort in their jaw or teeth it's a good idea to get it checked out by a local dentist, such as Dr. Peter L Drob, for signs of a growing problem.
Share