The Future of Dentures
Sometimes, existing or new dentures will not stay in place. They can be uncomfortable, make you gag, and even make your food taste off. Here at Great Lakes Dental Arts understand the frustration when dentures do not work as well as they should.
Many people hear the word dentures and think of the old cartoons, where a character would pop out a whole set of teeth, complete with a plate that presses against the roof of the mouth. Some people even remember their friends and loved ones talking about how dentures are uncomfortable, fit poorly and slide around in the mouth. Dentures could be painful, bulky and cause irritation of the gums.
Dentures have improved drastically over the years. With the advent of palate-less, implant retained dentures; you now have the option of a more secure, comfortable fit than regular dentures. Unlike older denture constructions, it reduces the gag reflex by not having anything brushing against the soft palate (the roof of the mouth). With secure snaps, the denture is held in place while eating or talking, which means that it remains stable.
The snaps are posts attached to the gums and function as roots, much like the roots of our own natural teeth. This means that the fit is also natural looking, natural feeling and comfortable for the wearer. Patients can speak more clearly without the acrylic portion of a regular denture pressing against the roof of the mouth, and have found the palate-less dentures are more aesthetically pleasing.
While the fit is secure, it is still possible to remove the dentures for easy cleaning and to sleep at night.
This also reduces the rub of the denture against your gums, keeping them free from inflammation and pain. Instead of the denture constantly rubbing against the gum, the snaps hold it in place, keeping the correct portions pressed where they fit best. This, combined with added chewing strength and security of fit, means that the dentures are stable and well-fitting and won't slide. Keeping a denture in place used to seem like a monumental task, but no longer.
Patients have also discovered that food tastes better without the distortion of the plate that rests against the soft palate. Subtle food flavors aren't lost against the ceramic, and mealtime becomes more enjoyable, especially with the new-found stability and chewing strength granted with the snaps.