Types of Dentures

Missing teeth doesn’t have to be the end of your smile. If you have lost a tooth or multiple teeth, dentures can get you smiling again. They are a removable replacement for lost teeth and the tissues surrounding them. Let’s learn about the two types of dentures.

Complete dentures
If all of your teeth are absent, complete dentures provide a solution. You can choose conventional dentures, which are created after the teeth are removed and the gums have started to heal. These will be ready for your mouth in about eight to twelve weeks after the teeth are gone. Another choice is immediate dentures, which are made prior to tooth removal and are ready to be placed as soon as the teeth come out. This allows the patient to have teeth during the healing timeframe. However, the downside of immediate dentures is that they usually require more adjustments during the healing process and really are a temporary fix while conventional dentures are made.

Partial dentures
When some of your natural teeth are still intact, the remedy may be partial dentures. This is typically a removable bridge that has artificial teeth attached to a plastic base, which is linked by metal that holds the denture in position in your mouth. There is also a permanent bridge that can be cemented in place; it replaces one or more of your teeth by putting crowns on teeth adjacent to the empty space, and joining artificial teeth to them. In addition to replacing missing teeth, a partial denture also prevents other teeth from moving.

Adjustment period
No matter which type of dentures you get, there is typically an adjustment period as you get used to them. They may feel loose at first while your muscles and tongue get comfortable with them, and as you learn to insert and remove them. Minor irritation and increased saliva production are not uncommon, but these issues go away with time. You will adjust to wearing dentures, and quickly begin to reap the benefits of natural looking teeth and a complete smile.
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