Modern dentistry provides treatments for tooth replacement that restore function, esthetics, speech, and occlusion and improve oral health. Dentures are one of the most common and potentially helpful treatments available.
To find out when you may need dentures and what dentures are the best for you, read along for a short guide about anything and everything about dentures.
Causes of Tooth Loss and When to Get Dentures
You may need to consult your dentist for a denture treatment if you suffer from teeth loss. There are many reasons why one can experience tooth loss, and these include:
Periodontal disease
Gum is a group of diseases that affect the health of the structures surrounding the tooth, such as the gums, bones, and ligaments (tooth-to-bone attachments). Neglect of oral health and the accumulation of plaque and calculus can lead to gum disease. If left untreated, gum disease will eventually lead to periodontitis and tooth loss.
Trauma
Trauma to the face and jaw can cause the removal of the tooth from its socket.
Congenital defects
Some people are born with oral defects. To correct this, they may need to undergo extractions and replace the missing teeth with dentures. Others are also born without certain teeth, so they must ask their dentist for the most effective way to fix their teeth and smile.
Chronic diseases
Some chronic diseases, including diabetes, might cause multiple teeth loss due to bone resorption associated with this condition.
Dental cavities
This is considered one of the most common causes of tooth loss, especially for patients with high cavities risk and bad oral hygiene. Dental cavities result from rapid demineralization of tooth structures due to bacteria that eat away acid and tooth enamel.
The Impact of Missing Teeth and Dentures
Many people postpone getting dentures or other tooth replacement alternatives. This is not advisable for several reasons.
More bone loss
If you have missing teeth, the bone will naturally decrease because no teeth support its height. The tooth root is responsible for keeping the bone healthy, but the bone loses its structure without it.
Older facial profile
With bone loss, your lips will collapse, and facial structures will sag as fewer bone structures support their natural contours. As a result, your facial profile will change. This is why patients missing a full set of teeth can look older.
Shifting of teeth
When spaces between teeth exist, adjacent teeth move towards the gap, creating unsightly tooth crowding or spacing. This also happens for the teeth right above the space. This is what we call supra eruption, where the teeth emerge from their socket to fill the opposing space.
Psychological factors
People with missing teeth tend to shy away from social situations. The missing spaces can make them smile or talk less. Speech is heavily affected by oral issues and can cause a person to be less confident. These factors can cause a great dent in the person’s self-esteem.
These are some of the main reasons why prosthodontists and dentists recommend dentures.
What Are Dentures and Why You Need Them
Dentures are removable or fixed dental appliances used to fill the spaces caused by tooth loss. They are made from acrylic, metal, or nylon and can be made to replace a single, series, or full set of missing teeth.
Dentures help to improve your facial profile, preserve remaining bone and teeth, restore confidence, and achieve better oral and general health.
Types of Dentures: Which Is Right for You?
There are several types of dentures that you can choose from. Essentially, the types of dentures depend on the number of missing teeth. There are either complete or partial dentures. Let’s take a quick look at these types.
Complete Dentures
This type of denture is for patients with a full set of missing teeth on the upper or lower jaw or both. They consist of two main components:
- The denture base is made of pink acrylic resin and replicates the gums to keep the denture in place. It relies on the remaining mouth structures for support so it does not rock when you eat or speak.
- Artificial teeth may be made of plastic or porcelain. The artificial teeth for complete dentures are made to look, feel, and function like natural teeth. They complete and restore your smile, improve chewing and eating, support the lips and muscles for a better facial profile, and help with your speech.
Fixed vs. Removable Dentures
Partial dentures may be fixed or removable. They are designed to replace one tooth or multiple missing teeth.
Fixed Partial Dentures
Also called a dental bridge, fixed partial dentures are recommended if you have 1 – 2 adjacent missing teeth. A dental bridge comprises an abutment and an artificial tooth in between.
Imagine a structural bridge. The abutments are the posts on the opposite ends of the bridge, which hold it in place, while the bridge itself is the missing tooth. The abutment holds the dental bridge in place so it remains fixed in your mouth as you eat and speak.
Requirements for a Fixed Partial Denture
- The abutment should be sound and healthy teeth
The abutment teeth are prepared to support a 3—to 4-unit fixed bridge. Therefore, they should be in good condition, with no cysts, large fractures, severe decay, or damage to the surrounding teeth structures.
- The patient should have a low caries risk
After reducing the abutment teeth, they become more prone to decay, especially if the patient doesn’t follow proper oral hygiene measures. So, you should know how to take care of your bridge. Regular brushing and flossing are done to preserve the health of your abutment teeth and the condition of your fixed bridge.
- Good bone health
To do a fixed partial denture, you should have proper density and bone quality to preserve your denture, natural teeth, and remaining bone for a long time.
- A stable bite
A healthy bite is one of the most important factors before doing fixed partial dentures as bite issues can lead to failure of the fixed bridge in the long run.
Is fixed partial denture suitable for all patients?
Not everyone can have a fixed bridge. In general, you should have only 1 – 2 missing teeth, good oral health, stable bite, and low risk for decay. Otherwise, your dentist will recommend an alternative option, such as removable partial dentures.
Removable Partial Dentures
As the name itself, removable partial dentures can be conveniently removed and are more flexible regarding use requirements. They are a great treatment if you have:
- Multiple teeth loss
If you have lost multiple teeth, the success rate of fixed partial dentures decreases, so you should consider removable dentures.
- Congenital malformations
Many patients might have congenital malformations that lead to permanent tooth loss, making them more liable to wear removable partial dentures.
- Bone loss associated with chronic disorders
The degree of bone loss for these patients is more significant. Removable partial dentures may be more suitable for them because they are easy to reline. If a denture change is needed, removable partial dentures are also easier to change than fixed partial dentures.
There are also two types of partial dentures: Flippers and Nesbits.
Cost-Effective Denture Solutions
What are flipper tooth?
Flippers are removable appliances that replace one or two missing teeth. The denture base of flippers spans across the palate or the lower ridge for maximum support. They are a temporary option that can be used immediately after tooth extraction to prevent the consequences of tooth loss. Flipper tooth are more popularly used for replacement of front teeth.
Benefits of flippers
- Cost-effective
They are the cheapest treatment option for patients who have lost a single tooth due to trauma or other causes, so they are less expensive than traditional fixed bridges and dental implants.
- Easy to wear
Many patients find flippers easy to wear. They can be delivered in just two visits, so the patient can restore his smile faster than other options.
- More natural look
Flippers help restore your smile with a natural look, so you won’t have to avoid people for so long.
- Stabilization of the neighboring and opposing teeth
Flippers close the gap between your teeth, thus preventing the shifting of neighboring teeth or super-eruption of the opposing ones that could lead to occlusion problems.
Disadvantages of flippers
- Less Durable
Flippers are made of the least expensive material to crack or break easily. They are temporary until you get a dental implant or a fixed bridge.
- Not too comfortable
Many patients feel uncomfortable wearing flippers, as they alter most daily activities such as talking, eating, etc. Eating with flippers is also difficult, especially if you have lost more than one tooth.
- Prone to allergic reactions
Some patients might show some allergic reactions when they wear acrylic dentures, so flippers may not be the ideal choice for patients with allergies.
- Possibility for gum diseases
You should take care of your oral hygiene measurements when you have flippers to prevent bacterial accumulation over the denture, which could lead to recurrent gingival inflammation and soreness.
What are Nesbit partial dentures?
Nesbits are flexible partial dentures that replace one or two adjacent molar (back) teeth. They are placed using clasps that wrap around the teeth next to the space. Nesbits are more durable than flippers and could help you maintain good oral hygiene, fill the space between teeth, and improve function.
However, aside from dentures that depend on the number of teeth missing, there are also types of dentures that depend on their use.
Immediate Dentures
As the name suggests, immediate dentures are placed immediately after a tooth or series of teeth are removed. They are made for temporary use as you wait for your final, more durable, and natural-looking dentures.
After extraction, the wound needs to heal. And as it does, the bone will remodel. If your final denture is done already, it will loosen quickly as the bone undergoes natural changes. When it does, the dentures will not fit properly. But of course, after removing teeth, you must have dentures to continue speaking and eating. So what can be done? It is during this transition stage that immediate dentures are very useful.
How are immediate dentures done? Before the day of tooth extraction, your dentist will take your mouth impression and have it sent to the dental laboratory so they can create your immediate dentures. So that when you get your teeth removed, your dentist can slot the immediate dentures in, and you won’t have to deal with a time without teeth.
Disadvantages of Immediate Dentures
- Less accurate
Immediate dentures are less accurate than conventional ones, as the patient’s jawbone and soft tissues might change height and width after extraction. Thus, the patient might find the dentures do not fit well after some weeks of delivery.
- Esthetic considerations
Immediate dentures might not meet the patient’s esthetic expectations as there are no appointments for try-in and shade selection procedures.
- More adjustments needed
After extraction, it takes up to 24 months for soft tissues and bone to heal. So, your denture must be relined after this period to avoid rocking, slippage, and other problems associated with ill-fitting dentures.
- More expensive than traditional dentures
When you have immediate dentures, you will have regular follow-up visits to check your mouth condition after extraction and whether the denture is fitting properly. Your dentist will also check for any signs of inflammation or soreness. It’s also advisable to have denture relining if you want the immediate denture to be your permanent one!
Overdentures
As the name implies, overdentures are placed over natural tooth roots. It happens when the dentist finds it difficult to extract the remaining root or if the dentist recommends leaving it.
The bone remains supported with the root kept in the jawbone, so you do not have to worry about the bone decreasing. Other studies also find that keeping the root in place makes patients feel as if they still have their teeth in their mouth, which provides great psychological benefits. Tooth roots are also a great post for future dental implant-supported dentures.
Implant-supported Dentures
Implant-supported dentures were introduced to improve the efficiency of dentures and confidence and comfort with teeth replacement treatments. This utilizes implant posts strategically placed along the jaw ridge to support a partial or full denture. A variety of options for implant-supported dentures are available including:
Snap-in Dentures
Two to four dental places are surgically placed on the ridge to screw and fit dentures in place. But, it can be easily removed for cleaning whenever needed.
This treatment option offers better esthetics and stability than traditional dentures. You may find it much easier to eat, talk, and do regular activities with confidence, and then you can simply remove the denture at night to prevent any inflammations or soreness. Many patients say that with the excellent stability of snap-in dentures, they don’t need any denture adhesives or relining even after one year of wearing the denture.
Permanent Dentures
It’s the same idea as snap-in dentures, but these dentures use more implants to support them. The prosthodontist uses 4 to 8 dental implants for this type of implant-supported dentures.
The recent trends in permanent dentures:
“All-on-4” option
This option offers to place four dental implants in each jaw to achieve more support for the denture.
“All-on-6” option
This option involves placing six dental implants in each jaw to support the denture, thus ensuring maximum support and stability.
Why are implant-supported dentures not suitable for all patients?
As mentioned, dental implants are inserted in the jawbone by surgery done under anesthesia. This may not be suitable for patients with many health conditions, especially those involving bone or wound healing. Other contraindications also include heavy smokers and those with bad oral hygiene, as the implants may not readily heal, and there is a higher chance of failure of implants or, worse, infections.
That’s All!
After discussing all types of dentures and how they could be good for oral health, it seems there is a no-one-size-fits-all option.
The prosthodontist should do proper clinical examinations, assess your clinical situation, and decide which treatment option suits your case. Many patients might prefer to do removable dentures as they find them more cost-effective, easy to wear, less invasive to the neighboring teeth, require no surgeries before fabrication, and can maintain optimum occlusion and daily activities. Other patients might struggle to stay with removable appliances as they need a permanent treatment option like implants and fixed bridges.
Whatever your preferences are, there is a type of denture for you.
Transform Your Smile with Dentures from DentKits
At DentKits, we specialize in creating dentures for everyone. But more than that, these dentures are designed for your convenience.
DentKits offers a denture experience that can be started and completed at home, so you never need to go to a dental clinic. Instead, one of our licensed dentists in your state will work with you online to manage your case.
First, you can visit our website and select the best dentures for your case. We have several options, from complete to partial dentures and even flippers to websites. We have a simple online test to help you decide if you’re unsure what you need.
After that, you can take your dental impression using our easy-to-use impression kit and send it to us. We use 3D printing and scanning to create your customized dentures, which are accurate and durable. They are made using FDA-approved materials and can serve you well for a very long time. When everything is done, we will simply deliver them to your house.
The entire process can be completed in a few weeks, and you’ll be ready to flaunt your new smile in no time! No hassle, no dental visits. Just you in the comfort of your home as you await your new dentures.
Get Started on Your New Smile Today
For more information about our high-quality denture solutions, visit DentKits.com or call us at 1-800-698-8124. Our team is ready to help you achieve a confident, beautiful smile.