Dentures or partials are artificial teeth that serve as a replacement for missing teeth. If a patient loses all or some of his teeth, dentures efficiently restore a person’s smile and confidence. They can be inserted and removed as and when a patient pleases.
The number of missing teeth determines the type of denture you should be using. The types of dentures are as follows:
When a patient has lost all his natural teeth or has heavily damaged teeth that cannot be saved, full dentures are used. Full dentures are a pair of a gum-colored acrylic base to which artificial teeth are attached. They replace both the upper and the lower arch completely and are held in place by a dental adhesive or the natural suction force.
After extracting all your teeth, the mouth is left to heal for a few months. During the healing period, your jaw and muscles shrink. The final denture is placed in the mouth after the jaw has completely healed and has undergone shrinkage and narrowing. This avoids realignments.
In some cases, Dr. Daniel Nickles may provide you with immediate dentures. Immediate full dentures are placed in the mouth right after the tooth extraction procedure. This prevents you from staying teeth-less and the functionality of your mouth is restored right away. However, immediate dentures require realignments as needed.
If your mouth is missing a few teeth, Dr. Daniel Nickles will use partial dentures to replace them. Partial dentures consist of false teeth attached to a metal clasp that uses the neighboring teeth as anchors. These dentures can either be fixed or removable.
The neighboring teeth next to the gaps should be strong enough to hold the denture in place. In some cases, crowns are placed on the adjacent teeth to improve their strength, durability, and resilience. Partial dentures not only replace missing teeth but also prevent the adjacent teeth from drifting and changing position.
Implant supported dentures are permanently anchored in the gums. Dr. Daniel Nickles will place implants to lock your denture in.
Implant supported dentures preserve your facial contour and prevent your muscles from sagging.
Dentures are fabricated by our dental laboratory. In some cases you can get your dentures in as little as two appointments. At the first visit, Dr. Daniel Nickles will assess your mouth to check your teeth's condition. If you have heavily damaged teeth that cannot be saved, tooth extraction will be performed.
Dr. Daniel Nickles will closely assess your mouth to generate impressions. A close evaluation will be made to measure the space between the upper and the lower jaw and how they relate to one another. Based on this evaluation, wax models are created to match the shape, color and your bite. You will be asked to try these wax based models to estimate the perfect fit and the final denture will be cast after finding the perfect match. It can take 4-5 weeks to make the denture.
After your mouth has healed from the tooth extraction procedure, you will visit our office again. In this second visit, he will provide you with your denture.
Muscles in the mouth and teeth take time to adjust to the new denture. It is a process but wearing your new dentures daily will help you get used to them. Follow the following tips to maintain your denture and good oral health.
For further inqueries, visit Nickles Dental or book an appointment with us at (864) 244-3211.
1330 N Pleasantburg Dr, Greenville, SC 29607
Phone: (864) 244-3211
Email: appointment@nicklesdental.com
