For nearly as long as people have been losing teeth, they have been replacing them with some form of denture. Earlier dentures were crude and were made with gold and animal teeth. As dental science has been improved, new materials have been introduced, thereby improving the quality of dentures. Following advancements in dentistry, different resin materials are being used today to create denture bases and teeth accordingly. Let’s get into the details of the cosmetic denture world in this blog. Different materials like gold, silver, and other metals have been used as denture bases, and animal teeth were used on these bases as a replacement for natural teeth. With the advancement of technology, various dental materials have been introduced into dentistry. The most commonly used ones for making dentures these days are acrylics. Acrylics are a form of plastics made up of methyl methacrylate resin. Artificial teeth are made either with acrylics or porcelain. Acrylic teeth gained popularity because of their low weight and no crack propagation like ceramics. They are available in different shades and can be customized according to the patient’s skin tone, face shape, and age. Narrow and more rounded teeth are selected for females, whereas sharper and broad teeth are selected for males. With the advent of technology, new forms of dentures have been introduced. They are called 3D-printed dentures. They use different forms of 3D printing resins to print the dentures. Jaws and intraoral structures are scanned first, using an intraoral scanner. This provides greater comfort to patients compared to conventional impression making using alginate. Both teeth and denture bases are printed separately. Later these are joined using a light cure resin.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DENTURES? COMPLETE DENTURES: These are commonly known as false teeth. A complete denture is a prosthesis given to individuals who lost all their teeth. A person may need a denture for their upper arch, lower arch, or both. These are made of acrylic bases and acrylic teeth. REMOVABLE PARTIAL DENTURES: Dentures can also be given to people who lost only a few teeth. These are called removable partial dentures. They take the support of remaining natural teeth to replace the missing teeth. Like complete dentures, these are also made of acrylic bases and acrylic teeth. IMPLANT-SUPPORTED DENTURES: Sometimes the bone supporting the teeth is resorbed, leading to loss of retention in dentures. Loose dentures impose problems in eating and embarrassment during social interactions. In such cases, implant overdentures can be given. Implants are placed in the bone to support the dentures and hold them in place. USES OF DENTURES: Dentures help patients in many ways, improving both psychological and physiological satisfaction. They help in: ● Improving esthetics ● Speech ● Facial height ● Ability to chew ● Psychological satisfaction ● Improved social interactions Dentures also play a major role in improving cosmetics, making them cosmetic dentures. Do consult your dentist regarding the suitable options for the replacement of your missing teeth.

DO DENTURES AFFECT KISSING? The answer is no. A well-made, well-stabilized denture with good retention completely feels normal and doesn’t affect any of the day-to-day activities. However, over a period of time, dentures become loose and lose retention. See your dentist at the earliest if this happens, and you can get a new denture or denture relining done as per your dentist’s suggestions. DO DENTURES CHANGE YOUR VOICE? Absolutely not. Newly worn dentures might slightly affect speech. Slurred speech and difficulty in pronouncing “S”, “F”, “V” sounds and certain vowels can be observed when a patient wears new dentures. However, it can be corrected automatically when the person gets used to the dentures and practices speaking with dentures. But dentures do not affect the voice. A denture not only improves aesthetics, but it also aids in nourishment as the patient can consume solid foods and lead a healthy life. A denture provides an immense psychological boost to the patients, and this newfound confidence helps them with social interaction without embarrassment. Do see your dentist today for a suitable denture option as it is rightly said: everyone deserves a second chance.