There are several ways to lose your teeth. If you participate in sports, especially contact sports, you may lose your teeth due to a blow to your jaw or other facial injuries. Other ways to lose your teeth include malnutrition, disease, and genetic disorders.
Malnutrition and disease can cause the gum area around your teeth to develop infections or recede, causing your teeth to wobble or fall out. Losing your teeth does not affect the way you smile. Losing your teeth also affects the way you bite when you eat and talk.
Although dentures are thought of as something that the “old people” need, they are a dental device used to replace teeth lost at almost any age. If you lose one or more teeth, various types of dentures and other alternative options are available to help you regain your beautiful smile.
Prostheses Are Devices Made Just For You
Each set of dentures is made to fit the unique contours of an individual’s mouth. They are custom made by the dental laboratory and custom fitted by a cosmetic dentist. Dentures themselves are not permanent fixtures in your mouth, but sometimes parts are implanted in the jaw to fit dentures.
Dentures have two parts: losing the plate and teeth. Teeth are usually made of acrylic resin or porcelain. Dentures are made to look similar to your natural teeth in color, texture and size. Porcelain is a heavier, flexible material with qualities that make it look and feel like your natural teeth. Acrylic resin is a lighter material and generally less expensive than porcelain.
The teeth of the dentures are adhered to the plaques. Usually this plate is made of a flexible polymer, a nylon material, or a chrome cobalt metal.
Three Types of Prosthesis
The three types of dentures commonly used are conventional complete dentures, immediate complete dentures, and partial dentures.
It is used instead of traditional full dentures if all your teeth have been pulled or fallen out. The top of the prosthesis is a plate that covers the roof of your mouth. The underside is a horseshoe-shaped piece that sits around your lower gums. To make a denture, your dentist will first make a mold of your gums. The mold is sent to a dental lab where they make your dentures to custom fit your mouth. Some dental practices have the resources and training to make your dentures in their office. To allow your gums and jawbone to heal after any tooth extraction, your dentist will wait about 8 to 12 weeks before putting you on your new dentures.
Another type of denture is the immediate full denture. Unlike traditional full dentures, your dentist makes a full denture before pulling out the remaining teeth. Your new dentures are fitted in your mouth at the same visit as your teeth are extracted. Immediate full dentures are used by the dentist as a temporary device to aid the transition before permanent dentures are ready for use. As your mouth heals and adapts to new dentures, the configuration of your gums and jawbone changes. New dentures are reattached several times to ensure proper fit.
When you have only a few missing teeth, your dentist will usually fit you with a partial denture. Experts explain that in partial dentures, replacement teeth can be attached to your natural teeth with a metal frame using metal clips. Partial dentures are also attached with precision attachments. If the adjacent teeth are not strong enough, crowns are placed on them for a more solid surface for attachment.
Dental implants can also be used to help secure dentures. Denture plates are attached to fit your gums. Sometimes a more stable fit is required. In this case, the dentures are held in place by metal structures that are surgically implanted into the jawbone, much like dental implants. These metal structures are called implant-supported prostheses. For this type of denture fit, just like with other dental implants, you must have healthy gums and jawbones for the dentist to fix the implants.
After a thorough examination, your dentist can give you the information you need to make the right choice for your oral health. With the help of your dentist, you can choose between different types of dentures and alternative options to replace your missing teeth.
