Dentures
Renew Your Smile
If you’ve experienced advanced tooth loss, the feelings of dread and stress involved can be overwhelming. You may feel like you’ll never be able to smile with confidence again. Luckily for Farmington dentistry patients, the Integrity Dental team offers a variety of tooth replacement solutions to fully restore your smile whether you’ve lost just a few teeth or a full row, including traditional and implant-retained partial and full dentures. If you want to learn more, call our team to schedule a tooth replacement consultation. We’ll review your situation and walk you through each of the available restoration options to help you achieve your healthiest smiles.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are often referred to as just partials. These tooth replacement prosthetics are used to fill the gaps in a smile following the loss of multiple consecutive or nonconsecutive teeth. The prosthetic is crafted using a base material to support any number of replacement teeth. The base is molded to fit between teeth, and they are held in place using clasps attached to surrounding teeth.
Full Dentures
Full dentures, like partials, are made using a denture base to support a whole row of teeth. Because there are no teeth remaining to provide support, full dentures rely on suction between the gums and base to anchor the prosthetic. Some people also use a small amount of denture adhesive to improve the stability of their full denture.
Implant Supported Dentures
For optimal stability and longevity, a dental implant supported partial or full denture may be a better option. An implant-retained partial denture can be supported by two to four dental implant posts. A full denture typically requires four to six implant posts for optimal support and longevity.
Denture Care Tips
When you’re new to wearing dentures, it’s important to take some time to get used to speaking and chewing with them, especially if you have a traditional, removable prosthetic. In your first few days or weeks with a removable partial or full denture, speaking may feel awkward, and you may struggle to pronounce certain words. Carefully practice at home, speaking loudly and clearly. Many people say that singing with their new dentures is a great way to get used to the way they feel. To care for a traditional denture, you should remove the prosthetic before going to sleep. Thoroughly rinse and brush the denture. Then, store it in water or cleaning solution overnight. If you have healthy teeth remaining, you should brush and floss them before going to bed. If you are fully edentulous (without teeth), you should still rinse off your gums. You can use a very soft toothbrush or mouth rinse to ensure you maintain healthy soft tissue.
Implant retained dentures are typically much easier to get used to. Most people speak and smile confidently almost immediately. Caring for the implant denture is also easier for some people. You’ll simply brush them twice a day as you would your own healthy teeth. For optimal health, you can also use an air or water flosser to remove plaque between the gums and denture base.
No matter what type of denture you choose, visiting our dental office for twice a year exams will be essential. These appointments allow us to examine your prosthetic for signs of damage and help you to maintain a healthy, functional partial or full denture.