There are three factors that contribute to your denture success.
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The size and condition of your gums
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The quality of the instrument (dentures), and fit
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The skill development of the patient
It seems logical that if your gums are reasonable in size
and condition that the dentures should have a stable fit. This is only
partly true.
Many patients present with excellent size gums but
have very high muscle attachments. One uses these muscles to move the lower
jaw. Further complicating the problem are the tongue muscles. The tongue
muscles, which are used for eating, talking, and swallowing are attached
to the inside of the lower jaw. These muscle attachments lift the lower
denture.
If a patient has a very small ridge it may be very difficult
to achieve a satisfactory result. This condition may not be a reason for
total despair. Now with the use of more affordable dental implants many
of these patients have been successfully treated.
The other factor to consider is the condition of the ridge.
If the ridge is soft and unstable, the denture will also be unstable. Sometimes
this condition can be treated with surgery, otherwise dental implants may
be the treatment of choice.
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Many people assume that if they purchase the most expensive
dentures that they can expect a perfect fit. Unfortunately this is not
true. Like a musician, the instrument only enhances their skill. This can
also be said of dentures, skills must be developed to achieve proficiency.
The quality of the denture is an important feature and should
not be dismissed. If a denture was made improperly it could create problems.
It could cause temporal mandibular joint dysfunction or T.M.J. dysfunction.
It's very important that the denture be made and adjusted properly and
also for the patient to make sure it is maintained. The fit or tightness
of the denture, if not proper, can also disturb an otherwise comfortable
and efficient denture. It is for these reasons that a checkup once a year
is recommended.
A good quality denture can usually be expected to stand up better. High
impact acrylics make a denture more fracture resistant, although they are
not unbreakable. The new wear resistant teeth seem to offer a more stable
bite. If these products are used with superior denture techniques they
can have a profound affect on the overall success.
This is probably the most important consideration of all, and
also the most difficult for many patients to accept. The denture is only
as good as the person using them. It isn't natural to wear a denture. It
is only a compromise with nature, and a poor one at that. |
To clarify this further, a musician,
regardless of the instrument, can create beautiful music. A non-musicain,
on the other hand, using the best instrument, would only create noise.
This is true of denture wearers. They must develop the skills of manipulation
before they can expect success. Not all people develop the skills to the
same level. Many people with lower dentures give up and don't wear them,
as they can't seem to develop these skills. This is why success cannot
be guaranteed. Success is mostly dependent on how well these skills are
developed, not on how expensive the denture is. Not everyone is suited
for dentures, and many will never adapt to them, for one reason or another.
It is for this reason that dental implants were developed, to restore function
to those who would otherwise be considered dental cripples.
A dental implanted denture is the "new technology" of
the 20th century. The technology is available to solve many of the dental
problems. We must be willing to accept that new technology. Our choices
of treatment influence the degree of success. Very few people are satisfied
with conventional dentures. Thousands of people have been treated successfully
using dental implants, which have given them an optimistic future where
conventional treatment failed.
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