Dentures
If you’ve lost your teeth, dentures are the most conservative first step we can take to replace them.
Complete Dentures
Complete, or conventional dentures, rest on the gums, replacing all of the top or bottom teeth. Because top dentures adhere through suction, most people get along with well with them. Bottom dentures, though, are more problematic, because the denture sits on the ridge of the gum with nothing to hold it in place. Thanks to technological advances this is easily fixed by adding a minimum of two optional implants, which allow the denture snap into place.
Immediate Dentures
If a patient requires dentures but doesn’t want to go without teeth, then immediate dentures are the answer. With immediate dentures, the back teeth are removed and the tissue is allowed to heal. After approximately 6 weeks, dentures are manufactured for placement around your remaining teeth. Once the denture is made, a patient comes to their appointment with their teeth, which are removed and replaced with the denture. The tissue beneath is left to heal under the denture.
Partial Dentures
If several teeth are missing and cost is a factor, a partial denture is a great solution, because it’s the least expensive tooth replacement option. It provides a chewing surface for the back teeth, while replacing missing front teeth cheaper than an implant or a bridge. Missing teeth are replaced in an arch formation, and the cost remains the same whether a patient is replacing 2 or 10 teeth. Partial dentures are removable and free floating, so patients need to rinse their dentures after meals to remove any food that may have been caught in the device.
Another consideration with partial dentures is that the remaining teeth that are used to keep the partial denture in place will take all the force normally shifted from the missing teeth. Sometimes this can put too much force on the remaining teeth, which can cause them to break down or become loose from the extra pressure that’s being applied on them. A common way to alleviate this problem is to add an implant so that the partial denture can snap onto the implant which takes pressure off of the teeth and has the added advantage of keeping the partial denture held in tight.
Make an Appointment Today!
If you have any questions about Dentures or would like to make an appointment, please call us at (262) 473-7217 or visit our appointment page to schedule a visit. We look forward to hearing from you!