Dentures are prosthetic appliances that are constructed to replace missing teeth and are supported by surrounding tissues of the oral cavity. They are also known as false teeth. Dentures are used on patients who have lost their natural teeth.

When you have lost three or more teeth, then you should seriously consider having dentures. The pressure on the remaining teeth will be too great, and therefore there will now a risk of losing more teeth. It’s a domino effect. You should also have dentures when your teeth shift position, become loose, or when the gaps between them widen. Red, swollen, tender, or bleeding gums also call for dentures in a patient.

• They enable you to eat the foods you enjoy. Missing several or all of your teeth comes with limitations on the types of foods you can enjoy. One of the chief benefits of dentures is that you can have the freedom to eat normally again.

A normal diet will do before the dentures placement procedure. However, after dentures have been fitted, it is recommended that you begin with soft foods such as eggs, puddings, chopped meat, cooked vegetables, and fish. As you get used to them, you then gradually ease back into foods you love, starting with small quantities cut into smaller pieces.

While dentures can last for as long as ten years, generally, it is recommended that they are replaced every 5-7 years for proper fit and maintenance. Dentures wear and stain more quickly than natural teeth hence the need for replacement.

As part of after procedure care, dentures should be removed, brushed, and rinsed after meals. You should also ensure that you clean your mouth after removing your dentures. It is also important that they are soaked in the denture-soaking solution overnight while you are in bed.