How a Denture-Wearer Can Eat Steak Again

Dentures are a wonderful thing when a person suffers total or extensive tooth loss, allowing teeth to be replaced quickly to help restore the ability to eat, smile, and speak clearly. However, as all denture-wearers know, they definitely have some limitations. Among the limitations that many denture-wearers find most annoying is the difficulty that many have in eating some of their favorite foods. Steak, for instance, is a food that many avoid – and with great regret. The good news is that denture-wearers can eat steak again – and Dr. Lee and Dr. DeFelice can help make that happen.

The main issues that stand between denture-wearers and a juicy steak are the reduced bite force and chewing efficiency that comes with denture use, and denture instability. These issues stem from the fact that dentures aren’t anchored to the jawbone by tooth roots like natural teeth are, leaving them reliant upon the gum ridge for support. Unfortunately, when biting or chewing tougher foods, that support often isn’t enough to keep dentures stable. Additionally, since the tooth roots play an essential role in maintaining the bone beneath that gum ridge, denture-wearers will experience gradual bone loss that undermines denture support, further degrading denture stability and oral function. However, Dr. Lee and Dr. DeFelice can offer several options to resolve this problem.

Adding More Solid Support To Conventional Dentures

Using dental implants to secure conventional dentures is an option for resolving loose denture problems. By placing two or more implants in the jaw that snap into fixtures placed on the underside of the denture, conventional, removable dentures can be made more stable. This can prevent dentures from slipping out of place as a person bites and chews, making eating challenging foods easier. While dental implants can be used to support either an upper denture or a lower one, this technique is most often suggested for loose lower dentures.

Improving Oral Function With Bar Attachment Dentures

Bar attachment dentures are removable dentures that are anchored by a foundation of dental implants, typically four in each jaw. A thin metal bar is attached to those implants, onto which a specialized set of dentures fits, held in place by fixtures that attach to that bar. This type of dental restoration increases the stability and efficiency of dentures in two ways. Firstly, they are securely anchored to the jawbone, rather like natural teeth, improving stability, bite force, and chewing efficiency as compared to conventional dentures. Secondly, since dental implants act as artificial tooth roots, they stimulate the bone much like natural roots would, offering protection against bone loss.

Upgrading To Permanent, Implant-Supported Dentures

Permanent dentures consist of a foundation of four or more dental implants in each jaw, which is topped with a full arch of replacement teeth that are only removable by your dentist. Like all implant-based restorations, they protect against bone loss. In most cases, permanent dentures don’t cover the roof of the mouth like removable dentures, which means they won’t inhibit your ability to taste foods, nor are they as bulky. In fact, they look, feel and function much like healthy natural teeth, and people who upgrade to permanent dentures can generally eat just as easily and efficiently as they could before tooth loss.

So if you’re a denture wearer who isn’t able to tackle a good steak anymore, there are solutions available to you that will help you get back to it and all the other foods you’ve been avoiding. Just give us a call here at Cumberland Surgical Arts for a consultation appointment to see which of these solutions might be best for you.