The day you put your brand-new dentures in your mouth, you’ll feel like a new person! However, it’s important to set realistic expectations for your new replacement teeth and understand that, while they have the ability to drastically improve your life, they won’t function exactly as your home-grown teeth once did. As a result, you may find that some foods are easier to eat than others, impacting your diet and nutritional intake. Read on to learn more about how dentures can affect nutrition.
Do Dentures Improve Chewing Force?
Traditional dentures are specially designed for your individual oral anatomy. The bottom portion of the prosthetic is crafted from gum-colored acrylic to sit over the top of the gumline, utilizing natural suction that occurs in the mouth to secure the denture in place. If you only have a bottom denture, you may find that more facial muscle strength is needed to effectively keep them in place, especially while eating and speaking.
While dentures have the ability to drastically improve the types of foods you can eat, they often require practice and muscle strengthening to help your dentures function as best as possible. So, while they can improve your chewing force and make it easier to eat, it’s important to understand that your replacement teeth won’t be able to completely restore your bite power.
How Does Chewing Power Impact Nutrition?
When you chew food in your mouth, one of the most important processes of digestion is beginning. This is when your teeth help to physically break down the food and your enzyme-containing saliva helps breakdown the molecular components, like carbohydrates, fats, etc.
If you aren’t able to effectively chew your food and ensure that it becomes mixed with your saliva, it’s likely that your body won’t be able to maximize its nutrient intake based on what you’re eating. This can occur because you’re not able to thoroughly and effectively chew your food, especially if your chewing power is weaker, which is often the case with denture-wearers. Over time, this could result in vitamin deficiencies and other nutritional concerns.
Is There a Way to Regain More Chewing Power with Dentures?
If you’re unsure of whether dentures are the right option for you, or you’re looking for a tooth loss solution that can help restore most of your biting power, implant dentures may be a better option.
Implant dentures take the beautiful aesthetics of traditional dentures and combine them with a foundation of dental implants. These are titanium posts that are surgically placed below the gumline and into the jawbone to restore the roots of missing teeth. After they have fused with the bone, the dentures can be permanently attached to them, restoring up to 90 percent of your original chewing power.
While traditional dentures are a completely suitable option for replacing missing teeth for millions of people, weighing all of your treatment choices is the best way to ensure you get the results you want. The best way to learn whether you could benefit most from implant dentures or traditional dentures is to schedule a consultation with your dentist!
About the Practice
At Dentistry by Brand, our team of three dentists bring decades of collective experience to the table, offering world-class service and high-quality dental results. With a commitment to continuing education and additional training, our team is able to offer every service from routine dental cleanings to in-house dental implant placement and restoration. For questions or to schedule a consultation, visit our website or call 972-495-9009.