Dallas Dentures and Chewing

Full dentures are a prosthetic replacement of a person’s missing teeth.  Many people in the United States and throughout the world have full upper and lower dentures.  Dentures may have the “look” of natural teeth but they don’t function the same as one’s natural teeth.

Natural teeth are secured within the bone of the patients mouth and can be considered as “fixed” within the oral cavity.  Dentures are totally removable by the patient and therefore are always subject to movement when in mouth and chewing.  Teeth also are anatomically made and suited for chewing food. They have processed “plastic” teeth and have a much flatter look to them than naturally occurring teeth and are made to chew much differently.

When someone with natural teeth chews food it is moved around the oral cavity and easily digested. Chewing is very dynamic with the jaw moving in multiple directions with various pressures exerted while chewing.  One can exert great amounts of pressure with natural teeth while chewing without any issues.

Dentures are not anything like natural teeth in regard to chewing.  With dentures food is basically “mashed” while eating.  Chewing is accomplished by the jaws moving in more of an up-and-down motion as the food is mashed between the upper and lower denture.  There is much less dynamic movement of the jaws when chewing with dentures.  The pressure exerted by dentures is far less than that of natural teeth.  If one attempted to exert too much pressure the dentures would move dramatically.

Therefore, chewing with dentures is not anything like natural teeth and this should be a major consideration when thinking about tooth replacement choices.  Another option would be that of something more secure within the mouth as that of a fixed bridge(s) or an implant related treatment plan.

Please feel free to view our page on dentures for more information.

Contact our office for more information.

Dallas Dental Office News Update, By Dallas Texas Dentist, William H. Miller
Woodhill Medical Park, 8305 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 235, Dallas, Texas, 75231
Phone: (214) 692-1050