What You Should Know About Complete Dentures

Dentures are a standard apparatus used to either replace missing teeth or any loss of functionality. Dentures come in different varieties, and your dentist will choose the correct one for you based on your needs. You may be given partial dentures or recommended dental bridges or replace your entire set of teeth with complete dentures.

Since each option has different functionality, costs, and appearances, you need to know which type of denture is right for you before making the final decision.

What are Complete Dentures, And Who Would Need Them?

Complete dentures are prosthetic devices that give full oral coverage. They replace an entire set of missing teeth. You would go for complete dentures if:

• A full arch of teeth has been removed.
• You cannot go for dental implants because of either financial constraints or dental professionals have deemed them inappropriate for you due to some medical complications. A medically compromised situation makes you unfit for surgeries or can cause other damages like affecting nerves, maxillary sinuses, vessels, etc.
• You have intraoral cancer, due to which you have lost gross intraoral tissue, which has resulted in an edentulous dental arch. In such a scenario, a complete denture would replace teeth and help fill parts of missing nerves, for example, hard palate, nasopharynx, etc.

Different Kinds Of Complete Dentures

Complete dentures come in a variety of forms, as indicated below:

• Conventional Complete Dentures – These dentures are created with acrylic resin, and their retention is dependent on saliva, alveolar ridge, and other supporting structures.
• Immediate Complete Dentures – These dentures are delivered as soon as all teeth of an arch are removed. This denture helps the healing process by remodeling the underlying ridge to the insides of the denture. This type of complete denture might need periodic realignment as the underlying tissues keep getting healed and remodeled. Mostly after six months of immediate dentures, a set of new conventional complete dentures would be recommended by your dental surgeon.
• Overdentures – These dentures are used when two or more roots have been salvaged and stabilized. They can also go over dental implants placed on your teeth. The overdentures might need locator attachments to be secured within the remaining roots or dental implants. Overdentures are supposed to improve retention. With dental implants and roots helping to preserve bones, the added retention due to overdentures is better than what the traditional complete dentures alone can provide.
• Metal-based dentures – These dentures are made of metal which is placed on the tissue-bearing side. Metal provides better conduction of heat from food which increases pleasure during food intake. These dentures also provide a better fit and added weight which helps to keep the lower denture (mandibular) in place.

Good-looking teeth not only make you feel confident but also give you better chewing and masticating power. If you lost your teeth for some reason, dentures are a great alternative to explore to preserve the look and function of your mouth. Based on your needs, your dentist will suggest the appropriate denture type.

Book an Appointment to find out which treatment might be best for you.