Partial Dentures

Partial dentures are a separable replacement for missing teeth and their surrounding tissues. They help in restoring the shape and the function of the jaw by replacing the absent teeth with a dental instrument. They also aid in carrying on the day-to-day function of speaking and chewing.

When you have a missing tooth or teeth, the bite pressure may gradually, slowly begin to shift. This happens when the surrounding teeth begin to fill in for the gap in your bite. This shift of your natural teeth may eventually change the outward form of your face and can lead to issues with your teeth. During such cases, general dentists may recommend a partial denture for you. This will also arrest the further movement of your natural teeth and help restore your smile.

Disadvantages of Partial Dentures

Partial dentures are unable to stop bone loss due to missing teeth. Ceaseless bone loss may have a bearing on the support for the neighboring natural teeth. If you fail to follow a strict oral care regimen, your teeth are at a greater risk of decay as plaque and bacteria can easily settle around the denture and clasps. Please reach out to your dentist to know if you are a good candidate for partial dentures.

Tips to enhance the life of your dentures

Keep your dentures soaked in a bowl of water at night while sleeping. This prevents your dentures from drying and helps the tissues in your mouth to breathe.

Brush your dentures daily to clean them of plaque and prevent the buildup of stains.

Brush your tongue, gums, and palate every day with a soft-bristled brush. This stimulates circulation and helps remove food particles.

What is an Implant supported Denture?

This type of denture is placed atop an implant that is firmly screwed into your jaw thereby lending the denture additional support. Usually, a regular denture sits atop your gums and does not need an implant to lend any additional support. Implant Dentures are recommended when someone has too many missing teeth but has a healthy jawbone to support implants.

Implant dentures are suitable for people who are:

1. Facing discomfort due to lose or uncomfortable dentures.
2. Facing difficulty in eating or speaking with their current dentures.
3. In sound health.
4. Facing difficulty due to most of their natural teeth being missing.
Implant based dentures will make your dentures much more stable and help avoid the feeling associated with loose dentures. This will also enable you to eat foods that you could not eat earlier. However, some restraint is required as certain types of hard and sticky foods may damage the denture.