If you have lost teeth due to gum disease, tooth decay, or a traumatic injury, you may be considering dentures. Dentures are custom made to suit your individual needs and can be a great, affordable option to improve function and provide you with a natural looking smile.
What Are Dentures?
Dentures are removable artificial teeth that not only provide a beautiful smile, they can also help to restore your ability to eat and speak more efficiently. They are custom made in a lab using impressions of your mouth to ensure a comfortable, personalized fit.
Professionally made dentures are made of strong, hard-wearing materials that are specifically designed to match the color and appearance of your natural teeth and gums. They are composed of high impact acrylic bases to make them long-lasting and stain resistant. With advances in dentistry, modern dentures are designed to be comfortable, functional, and natural looking, and with proper care, they should last for a very long time.
There are a variety of different types of dentures available to suit your individual needs, depending on the health of your jaw and gums as well as your level of tooth loss. Your options include conventional full dentures, intermediate full dentures, partial dentures, and overdentures.
Conventional Full Dentures
Conventional full dentures are appropriate for people who have lost all their teeth in their upper and/or lower gums. They sit on top of the gums and can be worn after your teeth have been extracted and once the gums have healed, which can take a few months. Full dentures are usually held in place without the aid of special attachments. The saliva in your mouth forms a vacuum to hold your dentures in place. However, if your dentures slip, denture adhesive can help. Be sure to contact your dentist if your dentures slip or slide too much, as they may need adjusting.
Intermediate Full Dentures
Intermediate full dentures are another type of complete dentures, but they can be worn after your teeth are extracted and while your gums are still healing. Depending on the candidate, dentures can be positioned on the same day as the teeth are extracted, meaning there is no need for you to function without teeth. Intermediate full dentures are fabricated in advance of your tooth extraction and may require follow-up appointments for adjustments to achieve an ideal fit.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are removable replacements for a series of extracted teeth or when only a few teeth are missing. They are held in place by metal attachments to adjacent natural teeth, which are often crowned to provide support and stability.
Dental Implants and Bridges
If you have good jaw health, missing teeth can also be replaced with fixed dental implants or a bridge. Dental implants are metal anchors that are surgically placed into the jaw bone and attached to replacement teeth to keep them securely in place. They can also be used to provide stability for full or partial dentures. A bridge is a prosthetic, custom-made for your mouth, that spans the distance between the missing teeth. The bridge is then anchored to the remaining teeth on either side.
Overdentures
Overdentures are removable artificial teeth that fit over existing natural teeth or dental implants, which have been shaped to support and stabilize the overdenture. Overdentures are typically used to replace a few teeth.
Natural Looking Dentures in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
At Hagerman Dental Care, our affordable, high quality dentures can provide you with the natural looking smile you’ve been waiting for. We will completely customize your dentures to ensure a comfortable, functional fit and will monitor your progress every step of the way – from your initial examination to the final fitting and adjustments.
For more information about the services we provide or to find out if you’re a suitable candidate for dentures, call us today at (651) 646-2392 or use our online appointment request form.