The Top 4 Benefits of Dentures

Everyone wants a flawless smile, which is why missing teeth can be an embarrassing. However, the disadvantages of having several missing teeth aren’t just cosmetic. Without teeth, it’s hard to do even the simplest everyday actions, like chewing and talking.

If you are tired of struggling with missing teeth, check out these four ways dentures can help improve your life.

1.) They Let You Enjoy Your Favorite Foods Again

Even with one missing tooth, it can become difficult to eat. If food gets stuck in a gap, you may avoid eating on one side of your mouth completely. The more teeth you lose, the harder it gets. Without any teeth, you may only be able to eat soft foods. Dentures give you back the ability to chew and bite again. There is a learning curve, so you may have to start with softer foods until you get the hang of using your dentures, and there may be some foods you’ll have to avoid, such as sticky caramel or biting into a hard apple. However, for the most part, you can enjoy most of your favorite foods again.

2.) They Allow You to Speak Clearly

Teeth aren’t just there to help you bite and chew. The front top teeth, in particular, help you to speak clearly and pronounce specific speech sounds. Many sounds are made when you press your tongue against the backs of your top teeth or when your bottom lip hits your top front teeth. Without any teeth there for your tongue or lip to hit, your speech may sound slurred or you may sound as if you have a lisp. Dentures make it possible for you to speak clearly again. It may take time for your mouth to relearn this because the teeth on the dentures may not sit exactly where your natural teeth did, but after a short time, you’ll be speaking clearly once more.

3.) They Give You Confidence

Of course, the most obvious benefit of dentures is that they give you a beautiful smile. Today, having missing teeth is such a huge stigma that it drastically affects your confidence and self-esteem — even if you’re only missing one. This confidence can help you during day-to-day interactions, improve your prospects during a job interview, or simply make you feel more comfortable smiling in public. Getting dentures helps to restore your confidence, so you can smile without embarrassment or fear again.

4.) They Make You Look Younger

Another problem people with missing teeth is premature aging. Even if you hide your missing teeth from the world by keeping your mouth shut, people will see the results of your missing teeth. Without teeth there to support the cheeks and lips, they may collapse inward, creating a hollow appearance. The facial muscles may even start to sag, and sagging skin always makes you look older than you are. Dentures fill in those hollow spaces to keep your cheeks full and plush, so in some cases, getting dentures can actually give you a “mini-facelift” as an added bonus.

The benefits of dentures are both cosmetic and functional. They give you back confidence and make you look better, but they also make eating and speaking easier. Stop struggling with missing teeth! If you’re ready to make a change or you just want more information on dentures or other tooth replacement options, contact our Santa Cruz office today.