Full Denture
Dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth. They are made out of an acrylic resin and normally porcelain or metal will be added for additional structure.
The Procedure
The procedure differs depending on the type of dentures. This is a simplified breakdown of the procedure for the placement of complete dentures:
A "wax bite" impression is created to help your dentist to find the exact measurements of mouth.
The dentures and the color, shape, and fit will be adjusted until a perfect match is found.
The dentures are fabricated and then placed in mouth.
Types of Dentures
Complete Dentures
These replace all of the teeth filling the entire upper or/and lower jaws. The level of comfort depends on muscles, bones, tongue, and saliva. Upper Dentures are a little easier to adjust to.
Immediate Dentures
Immediate Dentures are placed all at once. It may take several months for bone and tissue to stabilize following the tooth extractions.
Over Dentures
These are similar to Complete Dentures but not all teeth are extracted and they use one or more natural teeth for their support. They also provide more stabilization during chewing than. On the down side they normally require more preparation.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are placed to fill the gaps when only some of the teeth are missing. The dentures are anchored to other teeth with metal attachments. They maintain tooth alignment because they prevent remaining teeth from shifting. They can also help prevent loss of more teeth due to decay or gum disease.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Dentures
Advantages:
- Dentures provide a pleasant, natural looking smile.
- They are extremely durable.
- If well maintained, they should last from five to ten years.
- They can correct problems with speech to chewing, for many patients.
Disadvantages:
- Dentures take a little while to get used to.
- There is maintenance involved.
- In the first few days, the patient may encounter speech problems.
- Suffer from mouth irritation or sores. These are usually caused by poor dental hygiene, and not removing dentures when needed.
- Chewing be ability will decrease to 15-23% compared to a person chewing with their natural teeth.
- In the case of a full upper denture, the upper palate is covered and this will affect sense of taste.