If a person is missing a few consecutive teeth, at Gentle Dental we usually replace them in three ways. We can place a number of dental implants, one implant for each missing tooth. But, while this is the best solution to replace missing teeth, it can be expensive. We can place a permanent bridge if the span to be covered isn’t too long. Or we can use a partial denture.
A denture partial is a dental prosthetic that restores the normal appearance and function of your missing teeth. Partial dentures are normally removed like retainers.
Removable partial dentures are less expensive alternatives to bridges and dental implants and serve the same function. Denture partials are made by placing artificial teeth in a molded acrylic base that resembles the gums. Metal clasps that look like little hooks are added to anchor the denture partials onto the patient’s existing teeth on either side of their missing teeth. The acrylic base will rest on the gums for lower denture partials and on the roof of the mouth for upper denture partials.
Denture partials are also generally recommended for patients who have the potential for any additional tooth loss in the future. This could be the case with damaged adjacent teeth. At the time, they may not be bad enough to require extraction, but if too much damage is done, over time extraction still may be necessary. With a partial denture, adding another false tooth is not that difficult. And this option is far more affordable that creating an entire new bridge.
Anchoring the partial denture
While removable partial dentures are popular, if a patient wants a permanently placed option, we can anchor the partial denture to a dental implant. This option makes the partial denture rock solid and permanent, removable only by a dentist. With an implant-anchored partial denture, the patient can trust the denture to be as stable as their natural teeth.
Benefits of partial dentures
In addition to the obvious cosmetic improvements made with partial dentures, there are other structural reasons for using them. Denture partials help to prevent the collapse of facial structure that can happen due to a number of missing teeth. Having partial dentures also prevents the adjacent teeth from moving over to fill the gap created by the missing teeth. They also even out the stresses created by biting and chewing in your mouth.
If you’re missing a number of teeth, call us at Gentle Dental, (732) 549-5660, and let’s discuss partial dentures.
