Partial Dentures Specialist

What are the benefits of partial dentures?

Partial dentures can fill in the smile gaps left by nearly any combination of missing teeth. They can be fitted for your upper or lower jaw and are often a good option when you’re missing several teeth, but those that remain are overall healthy.

They’re generally less expensive than dental implants and are also a cosmetically pleasing alternative for individuals who aren’t good candidates for implants due to bone loss or other concerns.

How do partial dentures work?

Partial dentures are built on an acrylic base shaded to match your natural gums. Your dentist customizes the prosthetic teeth (crowns) to suit your mouth size and tooth shape and ensures the color matches your remaining teeth.

They’re typically attached to nearby anchor teeth with metal clasps. More natural-looking connectors are available but generally are more expensive than metal clasps. To improve the fit of partial dentures, you may also require crowns on the anchoring teeth.

Partial dentures are removable and should be taken out nightly for cleaning. This also gives you a chance to brush the surfaces of the natural teeth that surround the denture.

Is it hard to get used to partial dentures?

It can take several weeks to get used to the feel of partial dentures. You may notice you’re producing more saliva for a few weeks, which is a natural response that fades as your mouth adjusts.

Speaking clearly can also be a problem at first, but you can counter that quickly by reading aloud several times a day. Otherwise, your RR Dentistry team provides plenty of practical tips and suggestions for adjusting to life with dentures before sending you home.

You also receive detailed instructions about daily care and cleaning and signs to watch for that may indicate your dentures need resizing or repair.

What are implant-retained partial dentures?

Implant-retained partials combine the advantages of partial dentures with the functionality and superior stability of dental implants. The implant posts are surgically implanted in your jawbone, and the partial denture snaps in place on top of the post.

Because they require fewer implant posts, sometimes only two per dental arch, they’re more affordable than replacing all your teeth with implants. You may be a good candidate for implant-retained partials if you have enough healthy jawbone to support the post.

For more information about the benefits of partial dentures, schedule a visit at RR Dentistry today. Call or request a visit online.