For people who have missing teeth – whether due to an injury or disease – those spaces in their mouth make biting, chewing, and speaking a chore. Missing teeth can even affect the structure and shape of a person’s face, because teeth help keep the facial muscles from sagging.
For a person who is missing a lot of teeth, they may be considering whether to get full dentures or partial dentures. However, there are many things to consider – let’s take a look at some of those considerations:
What Are Full Dentures?
Full dentures are a set of custom-made removable replacements for missing teeth. Usually, they require all of the teeth in the upper and/or lower half of the mouth to be removed; after removal, the gums must heal over before the dentures can be fitted.
A full denture set is made from a flesh-colored plastic or acrylic that rest on the gums. The set is molded to fit snugly and comfortably to serve as real teeth. Dentures today are much more real-looking than those of just a few years ago.
How Are Partial Dentures Different?
If the dental patient still has a number of teeth, and they are suitably strong and in good shape, they can be used as a base for partial dentures. Partials are a plate with one or more prosthetic teeth attached.
Partial dentures are made with the same flesh-colored plastic or acrylic base as are full dentures. They are made to fit perfectly in the top and/or bottom half of the mouth to replace the missing teeth with real-looking prosthetic teeth. They are to be removed at night before going to bed, and they can soak in denture cleansing fluid overnight.
How Long Does It Take to Get Dentures?
For a full set of dentures, the remaining teeth must first be removed, and the gums must be healed over. Then, it takes approximately two to three months to craft the dentures.
Partial dentures can be made of the same flesh-colored plastic or a metal framework that supports the replacement teeth. This would then be held in place using clasps and rests that are carefully fitted to lock into place using the remaining natural teeth.
Once the gums have healed if necessary, impressions of the gums will be taken. These impressions will be sent to a dental laboratory to make a model. Fine-tuning or changing the fit will be more natural after each stage of the prep work, and the results will be worth the wait.
Experienced Dentist in St. Paul, Minnesota
If you have missing teeth and are ready to do something about it, contact Hagerman Dental Care in the Twin Cities. We offer every type of cosmetic dentistry available, including full dentures, partial dentures, crowns, teeth-whitening services, Invisalign straighteners, and porcelain veneers.
If you’re in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, call us today at (651) 646-2392 or request an appointment online now. We will find the best solution that fits your style, at the most reasonable cost – to have you smiling bright!