While there are many benefits that you can gain from dentures, you need to be aware that there will be long term problems with dentures if you rely upon them for too long a period of time.  Dentures are best used as a temporary cosmetic tooth restoration until such time as better, more permanent restorations may be arranged.  It is never a good idea to assume that all problems will be solved by partial or even full dentures, and neglecting to look into better alternatives can result in irreversible bone loss. 

One of the first problems with dentures that you will notice is difficulty eating.  Eating will take much longer due to the fact that you can only bite down with about 15% to 20% of normal bit force while eating with dentures.

There are also many foods that you will have trouble chewing.  This is especially true for fruits and vegetables, both of which are essential to your overall nutrition and health.

The taste of food will also be altered by upper dentures, particularly, because they cover the taste buds at the top of your mouth.   

Two other problems with dentures that you may experience are gagging and sore spots.  If you have a strong and active gag reflex, you may not be able to wear upper dentures.

Even if you do not have a strong gag reflex, dentures can cause sore spots to develop in your mouth because the tissues here were never intended to have plastic continually rubbing against them.

However, the worst problem with dentures is bone loss in the jaw.  The jaw needs the vibrations of teeth that travel down through the roots to maintain its vitality, shape, and overall health.  When teeth are lost, the jawbone does not receive the stimulation it needs from chewing, and the bone begins to shrink.  This causes your dentures to become loose.  After a few months, you will have to return to our office to have it reline, and every so often, we must make an entirely new set of dentures to maintain a proper fit.   

This is really a problem with lower dentures.  The base of the denture is smaller to begin with, and as the loss of bone flattens the jaw, there is very little to maintain its position.  Even worse, the shrinkage will expose nerves that pass through the lower jaw, so the jaw hurts and then goes numb every time you bite down.

Bone loss will also change your appearance.  Your nose gets closer to your chin, and your lips collapse.  This produces wrinkles, gives you less lip support, and makes you look older.

Future expense is an unforeseen, but very unpleasant problem with dentures.  Relinement and readjustment will cost money, as will denture replacements.  The tooth replacements that you thought would be cheap become more and more expensive over time if you use them for anything other than a temporary solution to missing teeth while you wait for dental implants or a dental bridge.

To be truthful, dental implants are by far the best cosmetic tooth replacements to invest in if you can afford them, qualify for financial assistance, and if you are in proper condition to receive them.