As you age, it is very important to eat a nutritious diet to ensure that you are receiving essential vitamins and minerals to keep your body healthy. But if you wear traditional dentures, doing this can be difficult. That’s because with removable prosthetics, you may not be able to chew your food well enough to get the most from it. Here’s how removable dentures can leave your health lacking, and how implant dentures can help!
Dentures and Chewing
Your dentures were designed to replace missing teeth, not just in appearance but in function, too. From chewing food to smiling and enunciating clearly, these prosthetics were designed to do it all, but sometimes they’re not quite good enough. You see, with dentures, some patients still struggle with certain types of foods. Whether they have difficulty chewing proteins, fresh fruits, and vegetables so they avoid them entirely, or they only partially chew them and miss out on key nutrients, these habits can take a dangerous toll on your health and even cause malnutrition.
The Denture Diet
If you find yourself struggling to choose menu options that provide adequate nutrition while wearing dentures, here are a few ideas you may not have considered that can help you get the important vitamins and minerals your body needs as you age. These include:
- Cottage cheese
- Eggs
- Broiled fish
- Oatmeal
- Potatoes
- Meatloaf
- Applesauce
- Pasta
- Rice
The Benefits of Implant Dentures
If you still find that your diet is lacking in nutrients or you’d like to expand your menu to include more of the foods you once loved, another option to consider is implant dentures.
While a full mouth of individual dental implants may not be in everyone’s budget, the good news is that implant dentures can be an extremely beneficial treatment at a lower cost. These prosthetics secure to your jawbone with the help of several implant posts (usually at least two), but instead of taking them out, they stay in place in your mouth unless your dentist removes them for maintenance.
This allows for greater stability when eating, speaking, and smiling, and provides more biteforce than traditional prosthetics. This means that you can once again eat some of the foods you may have been avoiding or under-chewing, such as certain types of meat, fruits, and vegetables, thereby improving your health and reducing your risk of malnourishment.
To get implant dentures, you’ll need to have healthy gum tissue and strong jawbones, but if you don’t, this doesn’t automatically disqualify you. Your dentist may be able to get your mouth healthy enough to support them with the help of gum disease treatment, a sinus lift, or a bone graft procedure.
Remember, traditional dentures can negatively affect your nutrition, but implant dentures offer a solution that can help you eat a wider range of healthy foods. To learn more about this treatment and if you qualify, schedule a consultation with your dentist today!
About Dr. Bal
Dr. Gus Bal is proud to be able to improve his patients’ lives through excellent oral health. If you’re interested in learning more about your dental implant or implant denture options, Dr. Bal is proud to offer this option right here at Nepean Dental Care. In addition to being voted “Best Dentist in Scarborough” by the Readers’ Choice Awards for four consecutive years, Dr. Bal also completed a fellowship in Implant Dentistry at New York University, expanding his vast dentistry knowledge and making him a superb choice for your dental implant needs.
To schedule a dental implant consultation , please visit our website or call us today at 613-228-8768.