Dentures

Dentures are artificial replacement which restores the function of missing teeth and it’s surrounding tissues.

Majorly there are 3 types of denture:
1. Complete Denture
2. Partial Denture
3. Implant- supported Denture

Complete dentures are used when a patient’s entire set of teeth are missing and not even a single tooth is present in the oral cavity.

Complete Dentures are of 2 types –
A. Immediate dentures
B. Conventional dentures

These dentures are artificial prosthesis which is ready prior to the complete extraction of the teeth.
The dentist plans and positions it in a way to be delivered the denture immediately after extraction.
The major advantage here is the patient does not have to be without teeth even for a single day during the healing period.

But on the contrary, the bones and gums shrink over a period of time during the healing phase and therefore these dentures require major adjustments and fitting.
Hence, these dentures are usually considered as temporary solutions and the patient will eventually require a conventional mode of denture.

These dentures are artificial prosthesis which is constructed and delivered to the patient after the gums and bone are healed.
It takes around 8-12 weeks for the gums to heal after teeth extraction.

Partial Dentures are artificial prosthesis used when the patient has more than 1 missing tooth or teeth. This prosthesis replaces the missing tooth and the surrounding soft tissue.
Unlike complete dentures, partial denture prosthesis depend on tooth structure along with soft tissue and underlying bone for support.
For enhanced stability, these prosthesis have additional clasp which hook around the natural tooth.

Implant supported dentures are artificial prosthesis which are fixed unlike the other 2 dentures which can be easily removed by the patients.

These are also called as permanent or hybrid dentures.
These dentures cannot easily snap in and out and can be removed only by the dentist.
It is recommended in case where the bone is healthy and the patient wants fixed prosthesis.
But here utmost care needs to be taken into consideration and the patient has to throughly maintain underneath the denture.

1. Taking a dental impression of the patient’s upper and lower jaw
2. Impressions are then sent to the lab to fabricate denture cast.
3. Wax will be added by the technician and sent to the clinic for other measurements.
4. After the measurements, the technician will add teeth according to the fit in the patient’s mouth.
5. When the dentist confirm the trial, technician will then fabricate and polish the denture.
6. Final delivery will be done by the dentist.

Dentures can last longer if kept in good condition by taking proper care and maintaining them. Here are few tips to maintain and enhance the denture condition.

1. Remove your dentures before sleeping in the night
2. Soak the dentures overnight in a denture solution.
3. Thoroughly clean the dentures using a denture paste and brush.
4. Brush your gums, tongue cheeks and teeth if present twice a day to maintain good oral hygiene.