For people living all over the world, losing teeth can be a serious problem. It is not just related to older people but also young people who have lost teeth due to a variety of reasons like sport of fights. While losing the odd tooth does not really incapacitate or inconvenience one too much, it can be very annoying to feel a gap in your mouth and can also be a little embarrassing – especially when it is a prominent front tooth. In many parts of the world as in Andover, dentures are effective ways for people to regain their smiles after losing one or more teeth due to various reasons. The practice is actually quite old and is not as recent or modern as most people think it is.

Dentures have been around for centuries though certainly not in the same forms that we know them today. Some of the earliest indications of what could be termed as dentures came from the Mayans when archaeologists found a jawbone with tooth-shaped shells replacing some of the missing teeth. But aside from that, the first dentures were made from a variety of materials that are much different from those used today in Andover. Dentures as we know them today only came about in the late 19 th and early 20 th century and the first ones were very uncomfortable indeed.

The earliest dentures were literally made from real human or animal teeth that were harvested from graveyards or other places. Some enterprising people even sold their teeth for money in these early days. These early dentures were fitted into the mouth with bits of string or wire. They were terribly uncomfortable and often lead to various sores in the mouth and other problems. As time progressed people started making dentures from the teeth of hippopotami and walruses as well as wood. George Washington is famous for having a set of wooden dentures. These days in Andover, dentures are generally made from more durable and less interesting materials like plastic and ceramics.

While dentures can help to fix the gaps a smile they do come with some negative side effects. The mouth is not really used to having foreign objects in it and until the mouth gets used to the dentures people tend to salivate more often leading to drool. Ill-fitting dentures, as is sometimes the case with a new set, may lead to sores and uncomfortable chewing as well. For the most part, however, you can rely on the dentists in Andover. Dentures and their fitting have come a long way and things are really a lot better than they were decades ago.

Whether you need to replace on or two teeth or a whole row of teeth, dentures can help you achieve your smile again with little trouble. In Andover, dentures can be acquired from the Andover Cosmetic Dental Group who also specializes in a variety of other smile-enhancing procedures. Get back your old smile and look the world proudly in the face once more.