A denture is a removable appliance that replaces missing teeth either in the upper or the lower jaw or both. There are two types of dentures available:
1. Complete Dentures: These are used when all the teeth are missing.
2. Partial Dentures: These are used when some natural teeth remain. Besides filling in the gap with false teeth, partial dentures also prevent other teeth from changing position. This is important if you want to consider implants later as it becomes more difficult and a lot more costly to rearrange teeth prior to implants. Partial dentures in the lower jaw can also prevent over-eruption of the upper teeth, thus preventing damage to the teeth and gums in the upper jaw.
Conventional dentures are made in acrylic (plastic) or chrome (metal). However, we now have access to advanced dentures with improved functionality such as flexible (or valplast) dentures that offers better retention and stability.
Your dentist will discuss the most suitable option with you after undertaking an examination. There are different options for each case, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. These will be discussed with you in order to help you reach an informed decision. Once the work has been completed you will be given instructions on how to look after it and what to do in the event of a problem.
Alternatives to Dentures
There are two alternatives to dentures: dental implants and dental bridges
Immediate dentures:
Normally, it takes few visits to work on creating a conventional denture. However, some patients wish for an immediate replacement straight after the extractions. It is possible to make an immediate denture in advance and to position it as soon as the teeth are removed. However, bones and gums shrink over time after an extraction, gradually creating gaps under the denture. Complete healing could take few weeks and adequate bone remodelling could take up to 6 months. Therefore, a disadvantage of immediate dentures compared with conventional dentures is that they require more adjustments to fit properly during the healing process. They generally should only be considered a temporary solution until conventional dentures can be made available.