Rather Than Dread Dentures, View Them as a Chance to Design Your Own Smile
Morton came in as a new patient asking for a new set of dentures. In collaborating with him so we
could make him dentures he would be proud to wear, I asked him questions such as:
Do you want spaces between your front teeth?
What type of smiles do you like?
Who do you want to look like?
Do you want big teeth, little teeth, long teeth, wide teeth?
Do you want personalization, such as little character flaws built into your teeth?
Do you want perfect alignment?
Morton told me he’d never been consulted to that degree like when getting dentures made previously.
He said for the first time ever, he was excited to get his new denture appliance.
According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 out of every 4 adults over 60 have lost all of their natural teeth due to gum disease and tooth decay. Another CDC report says 1 out of every 5 adults over 65 have lost all of their teeth. Once that occurs, your choices are dentures or implants.
Although dental implants are an excellent alternative to dentures, not everyone can get them. This doesn’t mean you have to dread dentures. The biggest reason denture wearers switch to implants is:
• Their dentures are ill-fitting and uncomfortable;
• They don’t like how their dentures look.
You can dread dentures or view them as an opportunity to design your smile. If you want to pay $99 and get “teeth-on-a-plate” then the old adage “you get what you pay for” applies.
On the other hand, if you want someone to craft an appliance that feels and looks natural, you can spend the money and get something that will make you feel confident.
As an Art Minor in college, I see beyond the science of dentistry. Although an appliance needs to be engineered perfectly, the aesthetic appeal must also be present.
If you need a denture, view it as an opportunity to design the smile you’ve always wanted.
