Who is a denture wearer?

When you think of dentures, typically you think of older people. Grandpa and Grandma, Mom or Dad, or old Aunt Tilly who keeps her dentures in a glass near the sink. Dentures used to be thought of as something only older people needed when their teeth wore out. Well, you might be surprised to learn that today's denture wearers are all ages and come from all walks of life. Let's take a look at a few facts and examples.

Athletes young and old may become denture wearers. Over 15 million Americans suffer dental injuries related to athletic events each year. Here are some of our future denture candidates. According to The National Youth Sports Foundation for the Prevention of Athletic Injuries, Inc. these injuries result in the loss of over 5 million teeth. Their estimates show a 45% chance of facial or dental injury throughout an athlete's life. Have you ever seen the triumphant, though somewhat toothless, smile on a hockey player who has just made the game winning goal? His dentures are likely back in the locker room, sitting in a glass of water, waiting for him. And remember the professional boxer Leon Sphinx? There was a candidate for dentures if ever there was one.

Mature women may also become candidates for dentures.Osteoporosis is a medical condition that results in thinning of the bone or bone loss. The condition is especially common among menopausal women. When the jaw bone deteriorates significantly, teeth may loosen or be lost completely. Dentures may then be required to sustain quality of life. However, continued bone loss in the jaw can affect the denture's fit and stability, and therefore the comfort of the denture wearer. Adjustments of the denture itself will likely be needed. A bone density scan can help a woman's family physician assess her risk for osteoporosis.

Dentures for young children are not unheard of. Anodontia is a genetic disorder usually diagnosed in childhood when it becomes apparent that some or all of the primary and permanent teeth are absent. Dentures can be used to restore the ability to eat properly. Dentures also benefit the patient by restoring support for the facial muscles. Inserting dentures actually lengthens the face, filling out the mouth area and taking away that sunken in look.

And finally, your average citizen may be wearing dentures over perfectly healthy teeth. Under the category of "just plain odd", a New York dentist has recently been offering replica overdentures of some movie stars to their celebrity obsessed fans. Why anyone would want to sport dentures of Jim Carey's teeth is a little beyond comprehension, but for a price it can apparently be done.

So as you can see, a wide variety of people are turning to dentures to help them with their everyday needs. Dentures can offer cosmetic as well as functional uses.