Vandor Denture Centre
Brock (left) poses with Barb (right) who shares her story about how Brock (the Denturist) helped stabilize her lower denture with dental implants so she could enjoy food again!

DENTURIST SHARES TRUTH: "DO YOU REALLY NEED NEW DENTURES?"

By Brock Vandor - Denturist


May 29, 2019 - 2:09pm


"Do I need new dentures?"


People often come into my office asking this question. Although I am truly honoured they trust my opinion on the matter, the truth is...

I really can't tell if they NEED new dentures just by looking at them. Yes, I can certainly tell if the denture has worn teeth or discoloured acrylic. I can even tell if the denture is presenting unnecessary looseness and if a new denture fabricated using a selective load open tray mucu-static impression technique would help with that problem. However, even with my training, I still cannot tell somebody they NEED new dentures just by looking at them. 

 

The answer to that question lies in what they expect their dentures to do for them. An analogy I have used to explain this is comparing dentures to a winter coat. You buy a new winter coat and it can be worn for years and years, but eventually it begins to fade in colour. Maybe a pocket zipper breaks and the draw-string is lost, but you know what? That old coat still keeps you warm for winter! Likewise, for dentures, you buy a brand new top of the line set of dentures and enjoy them for years. But like the coat, after a few seasons they begin to lose their lustre. The teeth start to wear down and even a little but of staining is showing up. Remarkably, even with the worn teeth and stained acrylic, they can still chew just fine! 

 

I have seen time after time people come into our office saying that they have had their teeth for 20, 30, 40 years and they can still chew corn on the cob! Are their teeth worn down and stained? You'd better believe it. Though my point remains that I still couldn't even say they NEED new dentures. They are functioning just fine with them, but they are walking around with a very old, out of style, beaten up coat. But it still keeps them warm! Often you can still function fairly decent with an old denture, the issue lies primarily with the aesthetics. 

 

An old denture will make you look older than you actually are. In 3 main ways:

 

1. When the teeth wear down, it causes your mouth to close further which then causes more wrinkles. 

2. The corners of your mouth will also begin to wrinkle and turn downwards, making it look like you are always frowning. 

3. The upper lip will begin to turn in, making it look smaller than the lower lip and will appear that you have no teeth at all.

 

What I do when somebody asks me if they need new dentures is I explain what a new denture can and cannot do for them and then let them make their own decision. If they are find with the "old coat" look, we can simply reline the denture or patch it up, but if they want to look more youthful or get some sharper teeth to properly chew their food, new dentures are the ideal option. I hope you've been well informed! Thank you for reading! - Brock Vandor

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