Full and Partial Dentures: Effective And Affordable Smile Restoration
At Desert Hills Dental Care, we understand the pain tooth loss can cause. If you have missing teeth and want to restore your smile, we have the solutions. Normally our dentists recommend dental implants to restore your smile. However, you may find that implant placement isn’t always convenient or even possible. You may want implants, but don’t want to deal with the cost and time involved in having traditional singular restorations installed for every missing tooth.
Fortunately, there are numerous methods for smile restoration. Today, at Desert Hills Dental Care we offer our patients an effective and affordable alternative to traditional implants called full and partial dentures and implant-supported dentures.
What Are Dentures?
Dentures are sets of usually removable prosthetic teeth worn inside the mouth which sit comfortably on the gums to restore the function and appearance of your smile. Dentures are usually made of acrylic resin, although they can also be made of porcelain, nylon, and even metal. We offer three types of dentures:
Full Dentures
Full dentures, also called complete dentures are complete rows of prosthetic teeth designed to replace an entire arch of missing teeth. Full dentures are more often recommended for those who have lost most of the teeth in their upper and/or lower arches. For full dentures, your dentist will need to extract any remaining teeth in the affected arch to make room for the restoration.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are a less invasive solution for patients who are only missing a few teeth in an arch. Much like full dentures, partial dentures are false teeth designed to restore your smile. However, partial dentures use your remaining natural teeth as support, featuring hooks that fit over these ‘abutment teeth’ to hold your restoration in place. That way, your dentist won’t have to extract your healthy teeth.
Additionally, partial dentures, whether they’re non-implant or implant-supported, provide much-needed support for your other teeth. This prevents your remaining teeth from drifting out of place and towards empty spaces, a process known as mesial drift.
Implant-Supported Dentures
For patients who already have dentures or plan to have dentures and want unparalleled support, we offer implant-supported dentures. Implant-supported dentures use a minimal number of implants and your existing bone structure to support a denture arch restoration for your upper and/or lower jaw.
Benefits of Full and Partial Dentures and Implant Supported Dentures
Advancements in dental technology mean that full and partial dentures whether they’re non-implant or implant-supported are better made than ever. Some of the benefits of these denture solutions include the following:
Affordability – Our full and partial dentures are generally more affordable than trying to replace every lost tooth with a singular traditional implant.
Simple Use & Simple Maintenance – Non-implant and implant-supported full and partial dentures are easy to use and care for.
Improved Bite – Full and partial dentures restore some of your bite force, helping you properly chew food for improved digestion, better nutritional absorption, and reduced risk of choking and diabetes. Implant-supported dentures restore even more of your original bite force for even better chewing ability.
Improved Speech – Full and partial dentures help prevent lisps and speaking impairments caused by tooth loss.
Smile With Confidence – Whether you opt for implant-supported or non-implant full or partial dentures, your smile will be fully restored.
What To Expect From Full And Partial Dentures
Initial Consultation
Before you can be approved for full or partial dentures, you’ll attend an initial consultation with one of our skilled Farmington dentists. During your initial consultation, your dentist will thoroughly examine your mouth, including digital X-rays, review your medical history, and ask you about your smile goals. Then, your dentist will let you know about your other options, so you can make a decision that’s informed and suits your unique oral health needs.
Designing Your Dentures
Once you and your dentist have both decided that dentures are right for you, we’ll take 3D images of your mouth and your remaining teeth. These will be sent to an offsite laboratory, where they will serve as the blueprints for your custom-made dentures.
Preparation For Your Dentures
If you’re receiving full dentures, you’ll need to have any remaining teeth in that arch extracted. We’ll apply a local anesthetic before any extractions take place to ensure you stay comfortable.
If you’re opting for implant-supported dentures, you’ll go through the dental implant process, which will involve more healing time and more steps.
Immediate and Conventional Dentures
Depending on your case, your dentist may offer immediate dentures, until your permanent dentures are ready. While immediate dentures will keep you from going toothless and protect your gum tissue, they won’t accommodate the changes your jaw will undergo after extraction the way permanent conventional dentures will. This means that immediate dentures, while helpful, are a temporary solution until your conventional dentures are ready.
Installing Your Dentures
When you return to our Farmington, NM office we’ll make sure your dentures are to your liking. If you approve of your new restorations, your dentist will show you how to wear them. If your dentures are implant-supported, your dentist will attach them to your implants via abutment pieces or show you how to attach them if they’re snap-on.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exact cost of your full and partial dentures will vary based on numerous factors, including whether you need full or partial dentures, whether you opt for implant-supported dentures, and your insurance. We encourage you to call your provider beforehand and ask them which costs they can cover. If you’re underinsured or uninsured, don’t worry. To ensure our patients enjoy the very best dental care, we offer special offers and flexible financing options like CareCredit.
Full dentures tend to last an average of five to 10 years, while partial dentures tend to last an average of 15 years. However, the longevity of your full or partial dentures will also depend on how well you care for your dentures and keeping up with your dental exams at Desert Hills Dental Care. Be sure to follow the care instructions given to you by your dentist and visit Desert Hills Dental Care at least once every six months so your dentist can maintain your dentures and your oral health.
- Practice proper oral hygiene by rinsing, as well as brushing and flossing any remaining teeth before putting your dentures in.
- Clean your dentures every day with a toothbrush and denture toothpaste.
- Soak your dentures overnight in water or a specially made cleaning solution.
- Rinse your dentures thoroughly before putting them back in your mouth.
- Visit your dentist as soon as possible if your dentures start to feel loose or make your mouth feel sore.
- Avoid using bleach, harsh bristles, or hot water to clean your dentures as these can weaken and destroy them.
- If your dentures are implant-supported and fixed in place, be sure to continue brushing and flossing as you would with your natural teeth.
Unless your dentures are implant supported, you shouldn’t wear them while you sleep. Failing to remove your dentures while you sleep can result in bad breath and denture stomatitis, also known as oral thrush. Thrush is a condition where your gums become swollen, yeast-infected, and inflamed due to overexposure to bacteria that grows between your gums and dentures and a lack of saliva exposure. Additionally, if your implant supported dentures can be removed for easy cleaning, you should remove them to clean them regularly as well.
Completely Restore Your Smile With Full And Partial Dentures
With full and partial dentures, you can more comfortably and more affordably enjoy a completely restored smile. Whether you opt for non-implant or implant-supported, full and partial dentures from Desert Hills Dental Care can help you get the most out of your smile again.
We proudly offer our expert dental services to new and returning patients from Farmington, as well as surrounding areas such as Kirtland, Spencerville, and Bloomfield, NM. To learn more about full and partial dentures, schedule an appointment with one of our skilled dentists by dialing (505) 327-4863. You can also click the button at the bottom of the page to request an appointment.