Lipstick looks good on your lips, but it most definitely doesn’t look good on your denture teeth. You’ve been applying lipstick for many years, and you’re good at it. You know you haven’t had this problem before, or maybe not for many years, but all of a sudden it seems like no matter how careful you are, lipstick keeps ending up on your denture teeth.
This isn’t your fault! It’s because of your dentures, and denture-related changes to your mouth, but the best denture dentist in Columbia, SC can help.
Dentures May Not Support Your Lips
Your lips are a cosmetic soft tissue that require the support of firmer tissues underneath them, traditionally the teeth and jawbones.
But when you lose your teeth, your lips lose support. Ideally, your dentures should replace that lost support and your lips should be as they were before, but most dentures just aren’t up to the task.
Many dentures are placed further back in the mouth than your natural teeth. Dentists do this for stability–they’re trying to reduce the likelihood that biting down will cause your dentures to slip out of place. But this means that your lips will sink back and fold inward, and the parts of your lips where you put lipstick will touch your teeth.
Another problem is that your jawbone is naturally resorbed by the body. Once your teeth are gone, your body thinks that the jawbone isn’t necessary anymore, so it removes it. As a result, the jawbone loses height and the ridge that supports dentures may naturally move back and toward the center of your mouth. This means that your mouth isn’t as tall as it used to be, and your dentures will move further back. Again, this causes your lips to fold inward and get lipstick on your dentures.
Dentures That Support Your Lips
Getting lipstick on your teeth is an early warning that you will soon be stuck with sunken denture face. Over time, the loss of jawbone will worsen, increasing the amount of fold in your lips. But not all dentures will cause this.
The Denture Fountain of Youth® is designed to completely replace the lost teeth and jawbone so that they will support your lips, keeping them from folding backward. They won’t stop resorption of your jawbone, but they can slow its progress if your previous dentures were poorly fitted.
And implant dentures can be used to give great support for your lips and other facial structures. This can stop bone loss and ensure that you can enjoy lipstick-free smiles for decades to come.
If you would like to learn more about how dentures can be made to support your lips and facial appearance, please call (803) 781-9090 for an appointment with a Columbia, SC denture dentist at Smile Columbia Dentistry.
