About Partial Dentures

If you are missing one or more teeth, you may be considering partial dentures to help with your jaw functionality, appearance, and overall mouth health. There are lots of questions to ask when faced with this decision. If you think you may want to be fitted for this extremely useful dental appliance, contact your dentist and schedule and appointment.

What are partial dentures?

The partial nature of the appliance means that they are removable. Despite this non-permanence, the dental appliance is natural looking and made to fit in with the rest of your teeth. The goal of the dentures is to replace and restore the form of your mouth and the function of your jaw. The dentures can be made from metal or acrylic or a combination of both. This ensures that they are strong enough to handle the regular chewing of real teeth and also look as natural as possible.

Why do I need them?

Over time missing teeth can cause many structural shifts in your mouth. The first thing that happens when you are missing teeth is that the pressure of your bite changes. This is a natural occurrence as your mouth attempts to compensate for the missing teeth. Your teeth will eventually begin to move in order to fill in the space left from the missing teeth. When your teeth begin moving, the bone near the missing teeth and the soft tissues may begin shrinking and changing. This can cause the underlying structure of your mouth to change, causing problems with your other teeth and overall mouth health. It can also cause your appearance to change.

When you replace the missing teeth with the dentures, you are restoring the form and function of your mouth. It does this by keeping the overall structure of your mouth, jawbone, and facial muscles engaged in your bite. It also prevents the shifting of other teeth in your mouth, while improving your confidence by ensuring you have a complete, beautiful smile. The dental appliance will also ensure that you have the ability to eat normally.

By electing to go with this option you are choosing a less-invasive and typically less-expensive option for restoring your mouth. They are easy to get used to according to most patients. The dentures do require more maintenance than permanent alternatives though. Over time, they may require adjusting. The great thing about the non-permanent dentures is that they can be adjusted when needed. This way the integrity of your mouth and smile can be maintained for years. The cleaning process is simple and must be done daily to ensure the overall health of the dentures.

Other Considerations

It is important to see your dentist prior to deciding if partial dentures are right for you. The overall health of your mouth has to be taken into consideration before you can be determined to be a candidate. In some cases, full dentures are the right solution. It is always best to keep your natural teeth, but if you find yourself missing some you and your dentist can decide if this is the right solution for you.

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