Dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth. They're usually made out of acrylic resin and sometimes incorporate porcelain or metal. There are two main types: complete and partial.
Complete Dentures
Complete dentures replace all the teeth, upper or lower. Some points to remember about complete dentures:
- Upper dentures are usually easier to adjust to. It's harder to attain a seal on lower dentures due to tongue movement.
- Complete dentures aren't appropriate for everyone. Successful wear depends on muscle, bones, tongue, and saliva.
Some medical conditions might rule-out complete dentures.
These include:
- Oral cancer
- Certain blood diseases
- Dry mouth
- Heart and circulation disorders
- Some skin diseases
- Arthritis, especially of the jaw joints
- Diabetes
- Neurological problems like Parkinson's disease or Bell's palsy
Complete dentures are either conventional or immediate. Patients begin wearing conventional dentures after enough time has passed for healing after teeth are pulled. Immediate dentures are placed at once. Immediate dentures, on the other hand, may require extra adjustments after the healing process has been completed. It can take months for bone and tissue to stabilize after extraction.
Overdentures are a type of conventional, complete dentures. They use one or more natural teeth for support. Benefits include greater stabilization, especially during chewing. But overdentures are costlier and require more preparation visits.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures fix the gaps in your smile when some, but not all, teeth are missing. Metal attachments connect the dentures to natural teeth.
They maintain alignment by preventing remaining teeth from shifting. Partial dentures help prevent loss of more teeth to decay or gum disease.
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