Imagine you are playing baseball and are pitching to one of the opposing team’s best batters. After a deep breath, you wind up and hurl the ball towards the catcher’s glove as hard as you can. There’s a resounding crack. One moment, you are watching the ball smack off the player’s bat, the next it is flying towards you at lightning speed. You’re too slow to react, and the projectile slams right into your mouth.
When all the dust clears, a horrible realization washes over you: you were not wearing a mouthguard, and the ball has knocked out two of your teeth.
Unfortunately, losing your teeth as an adult is permanent. You will not be able to grow a replacement back. What do you do?
This is exactly what dentures are for: replacing permanently lost teeth. Instead of living the rest of your life with holes in your smile, you can visit Greenspoint Dental in Houston, Texas to receive a quality set of dentures.
Despite how useful dentures are, there are some myths surrounding the treatment. Here are a few that we will dispel:
Dentures are only for old people. When most people imagine dentures, they picture the classic old man or woman with a set of fake teeth soaking in a glass of water on their bed stand. While many senior citizens do have a need for dentures, they are not its only users. As described in the hypothetical example above, permanent teeth loss is an issue many younger people face as a result of accidents in sports, reckless activities, or other injuries.
Dentures completely replace your teeth. Some people, particularly older citizens, may need to have their entire set of teeth removed and replaced. Such a treatment is called a complete denture. A partial denture, on the other hand, is fake teeth attached to a plastic piece that is designed to fill only a few gaps. Our baseball player example would likely get a partial denture, as his unaffected teeth would still function as normal and would not need to be replaced.
Dentures will look ugly in your mouth. Many people are concerned about the aesthetic appearance of dentures and worried that it will ruin their smile. It is important to remember two things: first, one of the core purposes of dentures is to improve your smile by filling in gaps in your teeth; second, the fake teeth and dentures closely resemble real ones. Unless you are getting your entire set of teeth replaced, most people will not be able to notice your denture resting snugly in your mouth.
Have you found yourself in a situation similar to the baseball player? Lost one of your permanent teeth? Do not fret, you have options! Greenspoint Dental is here to help to you restore your smile. For more information, contact our Houston office today.