When you suffer from advanced tooth loss, a bridge or an individual dental implant isn’t enough to return your smile to full function, health, and beauty. Instead, you need a dental prosthetic, such as a full or partial denture. In today’s blog, your Irving, TX, dentist looks at the difference between these options.
Partial Prosthetics
When you have lost several teeth, but the gaps in your smile are spread out across your arch, this could mean a dental bridge isn’t enough to address your tooth loss. A full denture isn’t necessary either, as you have several natural teeth still in place. But you need to fill the gaps to prevent misalignment and ensure your ability to smile with confidence and eat your favorite foods. With a partial, we have a denture that fills these spaces with lifelike replacement teeth and restores bite balance. The prosthetic will contain new teeth set in an acrylic base that looks like gum tissue. There will be metal clasps that attach to your natural teeth to secure the prosthetic in place. The partial will last about 5 to 10 years before replacement is necessary.
Full Replacement
What if you’re missing most of your teeth? In this situation, we will likely extract the last few teeth and then take detailed digital images, which we can use in a lab setting to design and fabricate your complete set of dentures. The full denture will contain a complete row of teeth set in an acrylic base. The prosthetic will be held in place with suction or a special adhesive, and will last about 5 to 10 years on average, requiring replacement as the jaw ridge changes shape. Removable dentures will need to be soaked periodically.
Dental Implant Support
Our team could also support full or partial dentures with dental implants, which we insert directly into the jaw. These act as new roots and prevent the loss of mass and density in the jaw, which usually follows tooth loss. As a result, your dentures are fixed in place, never slipping or requiring removal for soaking. They can last for decades to come, possibly even a lifetime, with proper care and attention. They essentially look and function like natural teeth.
A consultation will help us decide which option is best for your smile. To learn more about our custom prosthetics, then contact our team today. We look forward to helping you enjoy a complete smile again!
Talk To Your Irving, TX Dentist About Creating a Full Smile
We have full and partial options to address your advanced tooth loss. To find out we restore smiles with our dental prosthetics, then please reach out to Defining Smiles in Irving, TX today at 972-717-0860.
