Will Dentures Make Me Ugly?

My dentist said if I got dentures, I’d end up ugly. My teeth are falling apart so I need to replace them. Are dental implants my only option to still be attractive? I’m 32 so I don’t want to be hideous, but they’re so expensive.

Missy

Dear Missy,

I’m curious about the motivation behind your dentist’s statement that you would be ugly with dentures. If he’s saying the dentures themselves will look ugly, then that really depends on the artistry of the dentist who designs and creates your dentures. A truly artistic cosmetic dentist can create a beautiful smile with dentures. So, from that aspect, you won’t be ugly unless your dentist is not skilled in cosmetic work. That is a real possibility, so make sure you ask to see before and after pictures of work he’s done.

That being said, I suspect he is referring to your age and the length of time you’ll need to be in dentures. That will be a significant issue. Once your teeth are removed, your body will immediately begin resorbing the minerals in your jawbone. It does this in an effort to be as efficient with your body’s resources as possible. Because you no longer have teeth, it perceives that as you no longer needing your jawbone to retain those teeth.

After about ten or more years, you will have lost so much jawbone that you will no longer be able to keep your dentures in.

This is especially true of your lower dentures, which are held in by resting on the ridge of your jawbone. Your upper dentures are held in by suction so there is less of a problem there.

In addition to your dentures falling out all the time, your appearance will be aged significantly.

At 45 years of age, you’ll look closer to 85 years old. This condition is known as facial collapse.

Dental implants prevent this issue because it places prosthetic tooth roots in your jawbone. This signals to your brain that you still have teeth and therefore need those minerals, leaving your jawbone intact.

If there is any possible way you can afford something like implant-supported dentures, then I highly recommend that you go that route. Even if you only get four implants and only on the bottom arch, that will go a long way to giving you a functioning smile for many years.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Dentist Dr. David Newkirk.