Dentures: Complete and Partials
Warren, NJ
Loss of teeth no longer has to be the debilitating condition that it once was; with technology progressing in the field of cosmetic dentistry, having a complete or partial set of dentures can restore your confidence and improve your quality of life. Depending on the severity of your tooth loss, you may be a candidate for either a full set of dentures or just a partial. For patients who still have several healthy remaining teeth in their mouth, a partial should help, but if you're missing your entire arch, you may want to consider a complete set of dentures. Here at Wendy Sanger DMD Cosmetic + Family Dentistry, we work to find the best fit for our patients and help them make informed choices about selecting what kind of dentures will best benefit them.
What Type of Denture Do I Need?
Getting dentures is a multi-step process, starting with an initial fitting and casting of a mold to the final fit to ensure comfort and proper adaptation. While getting used to dentures can be a learning curve, many patients like having the convenience and quick turnaround of obtaining their dentures to restore their confidence.
Complete dentures and partials are significantly more comfortable than previous generations of prosthetic teeth, and the stereotype of the "chattering teeth" resemblance of yore certainly does not pertain to today's dentures. With a good fitting, dentures are highly comfortable and may not even need adhesive to keep them in place.
Depending on the severity of your tooth loss, you may be a candidate for either a complete set of dentures or, if you still have several healthy teeth remaining, a set of partials may be better for you. In some cases, we can provide even more durability by offering complete dentures supported by dental implants.
Complete Dentures: A complete set of dentures involves both upper and lower dentures and are best for people who do not have any teeth. Some people may only require just a top or a bottom. If you required an extraction before being fitted with dentures, you might need to wait up to 12 weeks for your gums and jaw to heal. A temporary set ("healing" dentures) can hold you over in the interim. Because gum tissue naturally shrinks as you age, plan on being refitted every five to ten years for a new set of dentures.
Partial Dentures: If you have only a few missing teeth, and many of your remaining teeth are still healthy, partial dentures may be helpful. These can close the gaps between your smile and improve your bite, your ability to eat, and help prevent shifting, tilting teeth that could lead to further tooth loss. There are three major types of partial dentures, including cast-metal, flexible nylon, and hybrid.
Getting used to your dentures may take some time, and when you are first fitted with them, you may notice problems such as:
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Excessive saliva production (drooling)
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Soreness
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Feelings of being cramped in your mouth |
However, these negative sensations should quickly pass as you adjust to wearing them more regularly. If you find that you're still experiencing discomfort or pain and not adapting to wearing your dentures, please let us know, and we can work with you to ensure your comfort.
Whether you have full tooth loss or you're missing just a few of your teeth, you may be a good candidate for dentures. Please give the skilled staff here at Wendy Sanger DMD Cosmetic + Family Dentistry a call at (908) 647-4441 to learn more about how partial or complete dentures can benefit you. |
