トップへ » What can I do to avoid ever having to get dentures?
What can I do to avoid ever having to get dentures?
Q. I have been prone to cavities since I was a child. Now I am in my mid-30s and all of my upper teeth are false teeth. I always thought that I brushed my teeth more than the average person. I have bridges on both sides of my lower teeth. I can't believe that I am actually going to need dentures in 5 or 10 years in my 40s. That is too young! Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to prevent this. (N.J.)
A. In the condition that you are in now, the deciding factor to whether or not you will need dentures is proper treatment.
When you say false teeth, I assume that you are talking about metallic or ceramic crowns. Normally crowns are a suitable treatment when teeth are weak due to missing nerves. (In the same way that a tree will not easily fall over when it is alive but it will fall over easily if it is withered, teeth without nerves are brittle and fragile).
It seems that your teeth are most likely missing nerves. If this is the case, then too much force will cause them to become loose and they may crack. The best thing that you can do to prevent your teeth from falling out is to link the crowns together. When you link crowns they become stronger and force is distributed more evenly. This prevents weak nerveless teeth from taking the full brunt of a force.
It is possible to have all of your upper teeth linked together. A linking device called the key-and-key way connects the front 6 teeth, and the four molars on either side one by one. This effectively links all of the teeth together. There is slight movement because the joints of the jaw are also connected, but this movement is absorbed by the key-and-key way.
If you, Mr. N.J., leave your condition the way it is, you may eventually need to get full dentures. Through properly treating your nerves and having your foundation linked securely, you will be able to protect his teeth.
Of course it is still necessary to brush your teeth and receive maintenance from a dental hygienist. You must act now if you want to avoid having to get dentures in the future.
トップへ » What can I do to avoid ever having to get dentures?
