You Gotta Have Teeth! Types of Dentures to Choose From

[Tariq Drabu]

If you think that losing a tooth will only impact how you chew your food, think again!

 

Your teeth have more functions than biting, tearing, crushing, and grinding your meals. Think about how you speak. Your tongue touches the back of your teeth, your lips shape around them, pulling air through your mouth to form the sounds that create words and language. Without teeth, those words lose their meaning and impact.

 

Whether you know it or not, your teeth also provide a structure to your face. They hold the shape under your cheeks, keeping them from being hollow. Further, they support the bones of your jaw from losing density as you age, which in turn keeps the neighboring teeth from moving.

 

All that to say that your teeth have important jobs to do!  So, what should you do when you start losing them?

 

 

Replacing Your Teeth Is a Big Step

 

You’ve decided to go with dentures to fill in your gaps or recomplete your arch. But what you probably didn’t know is that there are many different types of dentures to consider:

 

Partial Dentures: There are two kinds of the partial denture. One is a removable appliance that completes your smile when only a few teeth are missing.  The other is actually a fixed “bridge” that combines crowns attached to your remaining healthy teeth, with artificial ones suspended between them. As long as you have a few teeth remaining in your upper or lower jaw, a partial denture may work for you.

 

Full Dentures: These are the traditional dentures that sit over your gums and replace all of your teeth at once. They are made of two parts: the gum colored acrylic base and the teeth on top of it. On the bottom arch, the denture is fitted to the shape of the jaw and gums. As long as it is shaped correctly, it sits on top easily. Upper dentures are fitted across the upper palate and fill in the roof of your mouth. They each rely on a good fit and suction to keep them in place.

 

Implant Supported Dentures: The following type of dentures have elements of both traditional dentures and dental implants:

 

Implant Stabilized Dentures and Overdentures attach to a few implants in the jaw so that the denture stays in place all day long. This type of denture is still removable; the implants simply add support in lieu of using an adhesive.

 

All-On-Four Dentures or Hybrid designs are more like an extended bridge. Four implants are placed in the jaw. Once stabilized, a denture is attached on top of them. It can be removed by a dentist, but otherwise, it is permanent. Because it’s attached directly to the implants, the design takes up much less space inside of your mouth.

 

Dentures can increase your overall health quotient and confidence exponentially. Check with your dentist to find out which options are right for you!