24 - North Shore News - Sunday, February 20. 2000

: — HEALTH Seniors can age in place, centures need updating

Tricia Thobaben Contributing Writer

IF you wear dentures you are one of 32 million others across North America who do.

The three most common problems of a denture wearer are fit, function and appearance.

ifthese three criteria are met vou will be a happy, healthy, and confident denture wearer.

Many people believe dentures should last tor 20 years or more. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, dentures should be replaced every five to seven vears. This allows vou to maintain optimum tidge height and healthy tissues. As your body changes over time, so does your mouth. Your den- ture is a hard acrylic appliance that doesn’t change with you.

Ifthe denture doesn’t adhere to your gums well, it is causing unnecessary damage and discomfort. More laboured chewing, due to worn down teeth, can lead to possible jaw pain (TMJ). earaches, headaches, and digestive problems. Il-ficting den- tures can also make you look older. It is an unfortu- nate face that your gums will recede (shrink) over time, and vour current dentures will pull back with these changes. New dentures can support facial mus-

‘culature, take away unnecessary wrinkles, and help avoid a “sunken-in” look.

With all this in mind, many people still ignore their oral health. They no longer have their natural teeth, and therefore do not see the point in having yearly checkups.

Even if your dentures are working well, checkups are important. Early signs of many illnesses such as diabetes, hepatitis and malnutrition show up in the mouth. Most denturists will offer a free checkup with

;cleaning to counteract this way of thinking.

The following are tips to possibly solve common denture problems:

“@ Do you have fit problems? In the past, denturists relied on one impression of your mouth. Now, many are using. a second step called final impressions. A technique that uses a finer, more detailed material

with muscle moulding. This impression allows the denture to work with the facial musculature, giving a tighter, more comfortable and customtized tit.

@ Do vou have tunction problems? Function prob- fems are usually related to “the bite“or the way the denture teeth come together. He your teeth deo not meet correctly then the demure may displace. If vou find that your dentures move while cating, or that your jaw closes further than it should, this could lead to permanent problems in the future, Denturists have many ways of establishing what your correct bite should be and can help restore vour jaw and teeth to their correct position.

© Do you like the way your dentures book? In the past, dentures were set purely for functional purpos- es. Denturists and dental companies realized a huge demand for personalized, cosmetic dentures. Denture teeth are now made “lifelike” and tooth arrangements are set based on your age, hair, eve, and skin colour, as well as your personality. [fvou are con- cerned about the appearance of your dentures, vou can provide a picture of when vou had your natural teeth or request a full wax try-in. This appointment allows you to see the denture teeth set in a wax base betore it is processed into a hard pink denture acrylic. This step is crucial, as it gives vou a visual image as to how your smile will look.

Do you have a poor of resorbed lower ridge? Some people have bad new dentures or relines and still have sore lower gums. If you've had a fot of damage or resorption to your ridge it may be too sensitive for hard acrvtic. [t may be time for a soft diner. A soft liner is a thin cushion on the fitting surface of your denture. It absorbs the impact of chewing and pro- vides comfort.

Denturists are denture specialists, who provide a very personalized service. They are trained solely in removable appliances. Denturists are expanding their field to now include: precision custom-made den- tures, immediate dentures, dentures over implants. Denturists also help people who suffer with tem- peromandibular joint dystunction (TMJ).

—Tricia Thobaben is a registered dentuvist. For more information, Thobaben can been reached at 879- 0-466 or e-mail <everbrite@telus.net>.

NEWS photo Paul McGrath

Family music

GRACE Leader (right) and her son, Geoff, are part of the Ambleside Orchestra which perfermed at Evergreen House on Feb, 9. Hustand and father, Deryck Leader, is a new resident of the care facility.

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