Dental Health Topics

Dentures & Partial Dentures

A smile just isn't a smile if it's incomplete. Missing teeth cause a host of problems, from difficulty speaking and eating to low self-confidence to jawbone deterioration.

Don't give up on your smile. Advances in dental materials and technology have made full and partial dentures more lifelike and comfortable than ever.

Depending on how many natural teeth you still have, your doctor may recommend a complete (full) or partial denture.
  • Partial dentures are used to fill in the space created by missing teeth to fill out your smile.
  • Complete dentures are used to completely replace all teeth.
If you prefer a secure full or partial denture, and do not want clips or adhesive, then consider implant-supported dentures.

In a brief surgery, an implant dentist can secure a few dental implant posts to hold your dentures in place. With implant-supported dentures, you won't have to worry about slippage, and your prosthetic will feel safe and sound.

Now that I have dentures, do I still need to visit a dentist?

Regular appointments with the dentist are as important for denture-wearers as for people with natural teeth. The mouth tissue, bony ridges and gums that support dentures are constantly undergoing changes and may impair the denture’s proper function.

Even such general health ailments as vitamin deficiencies, extended illness, drug therapy, weight loss, diabetes or high blood pressure can change the way dentures fit.

Ill-fitting dentures can seriously damage the mouth, causing abrasions, bruises, inflammation and rapid destruction of the supporting bone. Prolonged irritation of this kind may result in the development of tumors.

It is important to have a dental checkup at least once a year to insure that your dentures are properly adjusted and that your mouth is in good health.