Service - Dentures

dentures santa cruz

If you’ve lost some or all of your natural teeth, whether from periodontal (gum) disease, tooth decay or injury, you have three basic options when it comes to dentures.  A great way to replace missing teeth, a well fabricated denture will benefit your appearance as well as your health.  Without support from the denture, facial muscles sag, making a person look older. You’ll be able to eat and speak - things that people often take for granted until their natural teeth are lost. 

There are various types of dentures depending on the specific needs of the patient.  Below you will find a general discussion on these different types of dentures.  Please feel free to contact our office at any time for a consultation should you have any additional questions.  

REMOVABLE PARTIAL DENTURES (RPDs)

Oftentimes a patient only loses part of their dentition to periodontal disease or tooth decay.  With adequate oral hygiene habits at home and regular visits to the dentist, saving some teeth to help support a removable partial denture is a great option for replacing a single tooth or multiple missing teeth.  Of course, these so-called abutment teeth need to be strong and healthy to support the removable prosthetic during function, like chewing and speaking.  They do so by 'clipping' into the remaining dentition with clasps and rest seats, which direct forces down the long-access of the tooth.  

COMPLETE DENTURES

Severe, unrestrained gum disease throughout the mouth will destroy the alveolar bone that supports the teeth, leaving a weak foundation and loose teeth.  Sometimes tooth decay goes unchecked and turns enamel, the hardest substance in the human body, soft and the teeth crumble.  Both of these circumstances often call for the removal of all remaining dentition and the fabrication of complete dentures.  Complete dentures are called "conventional" or "immediate" according to when they are made and when they are inserted into the mouth.  Immediate dentures are inserted as soon as the remaining teeth are removed.  To make this possible, a thorough clinical and xray examination with diagnostic casts and intraoral photos are taken.  Subsequent visits are spent taking jaw relationship records and completing wax try-ins, all in an effort the make the most predictable immediate denture possible.  Of course, the patient has the opportunity to discuss their preferences, from shade to tooth form and spacing.  With immediate dentures, the denture wearer does not have to be without teeth during the healing period.  However, bones and gums can shrink over time, especially during the period of healing in the first six to twelve months after the removal of teeth. When gums shrink, immediate dentures may require rebasing or relining to fit properly.

Even if you wear complete dentures, you still must take good care of your mouth. Brush your gums, tongue and palate every morning with a soft-bristled brush before you insert your dentures to stimulate circulation in your tissues and help remove plaque. Scrub all surfaces of your prosthesis daily with a soft bristled brush (do not use toothpaste or similar products as these have abrasives that will scratch the acylic).  

IMPLANT-SUPPORTED (OVER)DENTURES

An implant-supported denture is a type of overdenture that is attached to and supported by implants.  Implants can help support dentures in both the upper and lower jaws and in people who are completely edentulous (without teeth) or those who are missing only part of their dentition.  This is accomplished with the aid of locator attachments, one part which is housed in the denture base and the other that is affixed to the top of the implant. The denture literally 'snaps' into place, greatly increasing the stability and retention of the prosthesis. As is often the case with removable partial dentures (RPDs), implants may alleviate the need for clasps on abutment teeth, thereby reducing the amount of metal that may show in your smile with a conventional RPD.  

Should you have any further questions or concerns, or would like your existing dentures evaluated, please feel free to contact our office at any time.