Dentures Partials – SHADOW ROCK DENTISTRY

Dentures

A denture or a complete denture as it is often called, is an appliance that is inserted in the mouth, replaces natural teeth and provides support for the cheeks and lips.

Most dentures are made of acrylic and can be fabricated two different ways.

A conventional denture is made after all teeth have been extracted and the tissues (gums) have healed.
An immediate denture is fabricated and inserted immediately after the teeth are extracted and the tissues are allowed to heal under the denture.
An upper denture has acrylic, usually flesh colored, that covers the palate (roof of the mouth).
A lower denture is shaped like a horseshoe to leave room for the tongue.

The teeth are made of plastic, porcelain or a combination thereof. Dentures can be fabricated to fit over endodontically treated teeth and a complete denture can be attached to dental implants to allow for a more secure fit of the appliance. If you are interested in Dental implants, please call us today and we can setup a consultation to answer any questions you may have.

Dentures over a normal course of time will wear and need to be replaced or relined in order to keep the jaw alignment normal. The alignment will slowly change as the bone and gum ridges recede or shrink due to the extraction of the teeth. Regular dental examinations are still important for the denture wearer so that the oral tissues can be checked for disease or change.

Partials

Partials can be fabricated to help with missing teeth. Partials need to have clasps that hold on to existing teeth to help it stay in. A top partial will need to have some acrylic or metal that covers some of the palate(roof of the mouth) if teeth are missing on the left and right sides. If you are missing your back teeth and the partial does not have a tooth to clasp on behind the space, then there will be more movement in the partial and it will require denture adhesive to help from the extra movement.

There are two types of partials: 1) Acrylic 2) Metal.

Acrylic partials are more temporary partials and are made to replace missing teeth that have been recently extracted or planning to be extracted and placed right away when the extractions are done. After healing period of 6 months to 12 months, the Metal partials are recommended since they are stronger and durable. Ask us which is a better solution for you.

Both Acrylic and Metal partials can have clasps, although in some cases, the Acrylic partial may not have clasps and may instead rely on friction to hold it in. In this case, a larger acrylic partial will need to be made to “hug” the back of most of the existing teeth. If you feel that you would like a more permanent solution, ask us about dental implants that can stabilize a partial or a denture.