A high rate of elderly people wear dentures in the industrialized countries.
These people go to the dentist rarely for services. In Canada, according to a 1980 study, 72% of people over 65 years wear dentures. Their average time between dental visits is 15.3 years. Examination of these people indicated that 74% required treatment. More than 60% of the dentures worn by the elderly were at least 10 years old. What determines if a denture is performing correctly.
The evaluation of denture performance is base on a list of questions and the dentists clinical examination. The questions asked include: Do you feel that you chew food well with your dentures?
Do you feel that your dentures prevent you from eating foods you like? Do you have trouble chewing chopped carrots, boiled vegetables, steak, firm meat, apples, lettuce, mashed potatoes, and peanuts. The dentist performs tests to evaluate the fit and wear of the denture as well as its' retention and stability.
Retention is the ability of a denture to resist vertical or lateral pull. Stability is the ability of the denture not to rock on its supporting structure under pressure. Surprisingly, the retention-stability measurement did not accurately determine the patients chewing ability. A combination chewing test including some of the foods previously mentioned indicated more accurately the patients' chewing ability. Incidentally, apples were not a good measure of a dentures chewing ability, but more in the dentures retention or bite force ability. The conclusions are that denture wearers are optimistic about their chewing ability.
Denture wearers need to come in for regular maintenance to prolong the life expectancy of their dentures and for regular oral and cancer exams. Also, a denture does not have the same force in chewing as would your own teeth or dental implants.
If you have your own teeth, go to your dentist to save them. Sometimes in order to save teeth the dentist reduces the pressure on the teeth by making a overdenture or by splinting them. If you are concerned about losing your remaining teeth, the worst thing you can do is not going to the dentist. If you are afraid of dentures or would like extra help for your remaining teeth, ask your dentist about Implants.
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