Dentures can be very comfortable and they are an important part of dental sciences. They have been in practice for centuries now. With old age or other oral diseases, it is not unnatural for people to lose their teeth. Now this poses a huge problem. Without teeth we cannot eat properly and we also need teeth to speak because much of our pronunciations need the correct placement of teeth. Also teeth are a great aesthetic factor. Without teeth our face loses its regular shape. A perfect pair of clean and even teeth can give you a smile that will win hearts. So lost teeth need to be replaced and that is where the almost magical entry of dentures happens in dentistry.
Ancient texts find the evidence of dentures being used by the people since very early days. The rich used expensive metals like gold in their dentures. However those dentures were crude and not very comfortable. Though used as a replacement for natural teeth they did not have the structural or functional benefit of one. But that is history. Modern science since then has come a long way in every way and so has oral sciences developed. Today we have several methods to cure damaged teeth and in case of completely damaged ones, modern dentures are replacements that will make you feel as good as having natural teeth.
Modern dentures are found in majorly three versions. The most common of them is the conventional denture. When all your teeth is damaged the dentist removes them and lets your mouth heal. After all the tissues are healed, the dentist installs the conventional denture. It is modeled on the exact specifications of your mouth and therefore fits in perfectly. It is supported by the palate for the upper set and the lower set is curved to allow your tongue to move freely. This is a permanent set up and in most cases does not need further adjustments. Then there is the immediate denture. Just after your teeth have been removed, the gum tissues need protection. You also need something to chew with. Therefore, the dentist installs a temporary set of dentures known as the immediate denture. It helps your gums heal while protecting them. However these are not long term solutions as your jaw bones realign with healing and these dentures become loose. The dentist therefore needs to realign them or fix up a new set up for you after your gum tissues have healed completely. The third type of dentures is the overdenture or the partial denture. In most cases, removal of all your teeth is not needed. In those cases the dentist fixes up a partial denture for you, which is designed to be fixed on the existing teeth. It is fixed by crowns which anchor it to place and it protects your jawbone from further damage.
