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Dentures

In the past dentures were used as the primary method for replacing missing teeth. With the advent of dental implants this is no longer the case, and dental prostheses or dentures are now used much less frequently. They are still used if the loss of teeth happened a long time ago, and the loss of alveolar tissue and bone density is such that a bone graft would just not make any sense. They are also used as a budget solution for the replacement of numerous, or even an entire arch of teeth. Sometimes if a patient is very old or has an oral condition or bone illness that makes a successful implantation impossible, dentures will be used.

Dentures are a row of crowns that are inserted into an artificial gum. They can be removable or fixed, and can be made out of a number of materials. The crowns used are usually our standard crowns, a ceramic shell fused to a surgical steel inner structure. The artificial gum can be made out of a surgical resin or high grade biocompatible plastic. We offer dentures that come with an internal metal structure that is then covered with this biocompatible plastic as well. Dentures can replace a partial arch, these are called partial dentures, an entire arch, called a full denture, or even all of the patients teeth entirely.

Removable dentures are the most common form used. These are dentures that are meant to be taken out from time to time, to be cleaned then put back in for use during speech or eating. Of these the cheapest one is the plastic removable type, the standard dentures that we all know and love. This same type can have a metal internal structure as well, and the gum part can be made of resin instead of plastic. Removable dentures are by far the most popular and cheapest solution for replacing a considerable number of teeth.

Fixed dentures are usually housed via a dental implant. It is also possible to fix a removable denture via a surgical adhesive to the patient’s gums. But the ones that are housed by one or more dental implants have the advantage of durability. Those who wear dentures will tell you that dental adhesive does not last forever, and indeed one of the typical problems that people with dentures will mention is the denture becoming loose or falling out in an embarrassing or inappropriate moment. When a row of teeth is supported by a dental implant, this can only happen if massive trauma of the head or face is experienced. The denture will literally be fixed to your jaw bone, or in certain cases to the roof of your mouth.

To find a fixed denture that is right for you and can be met by your budget, a consultation session with one of our dentists is advised. During that session all of the possibilities will be discussed, and a treatment plan will be given with a specific price and all of the steps of the procedure itemized.