As dental professionals we are here to help you to maintain healthy teeth throughout your life. But if tooth loss occurs, you still have options to replace your missing teeth. Different types of dentures serve different purposes. Here are five choices for replacing your teeth after extraction.
Immediate full dentures are placed in your mouth right after removing any remaining teeth. You’ll have the look and use of teeth while your mouth heals from the extractions, allowing a smoother transition to dentures. However, after your teeth are removed your jawbone and gums will gradually shrink, so you’ll benefit from having custom-fitted conventional dentures within 4-6 months.
Conventional full dentures replace your upper and lower teeth. They are custom-crafted and fitted over a series of 4-5 appointments to ensure an excellent fit and natural look. Periodic adjustments or relines may be helpful to ensure that your conventional dentures continue to fit well and feel comfortable.
Overdentures look like conventional full dentures but are secured over dental implants or a few specially prepared remaining teeth. Overdentures are more stable and secure and feel more natural than conventional dentures. Also, the dental implants or remaining teeth provide stimulation to your jawbone that can help prevent the bone loss seen commonly with conventional dentures.
All-On-Four and All-On-Six dentures are almost like having your natural teeth back. Precision placement of 4-6 dental implants in your upper or lower jawbone provide a way to permanently secure a full-arch bridge to your mouth. Less pink plastic is needed to support the teeth so these dentures feel and look more like your natural teeth, and you won’t have the bulk and taste of acrylic covering the roof of your mouth.
Partial dentures may be an option if you have lost several teeth but still have some remaining. Partials help prevent your existing teeth from shifting within your mouth as well as provide support for the dentures. They soften the impact of biting and chewing and reduce the pressure on other parts of your jaw.
If you’d like more information about your denture options to replace missing teeth, contact us to schedule a consultation with our experienced denture dentists. For additional reading, visit our web page about dentures and partials, or explore our blog for more posts about dentures and denture care. At NHCCD, you’ll have a team of restorative and implant dentists working together with you to give you your best options for denture care for a great smile and function.