Dentures
Removable Dentures
When a person has had all of their teeth removed we must make complete dentures for the person to wear. Dentures are an acceptable solution, but no match for our real teeth! Hence we always try to save natural teeth. When the teeth are removed we are left with a ridge of bone on the upper and lower parts of our mouth,that we can use to put false teeth on.The lower denture always takes a little more work for most patients to get used to for two reasons:lack of height of bone and prescence of the tongue. The tongue increases in size in an edentulous mouth and it resists any new encumberence to its unchallenged domain. In the upper ridge however there are no such interferences.
Advantages
- Long term experience over the years
- Relative low cost
- Predictable results
- Tolerated well by most people
- Restores missing teeth and lost ridge or gums
- Function and appearance is restored
- Aesthetically good where lip and cheek support is inadequate
- Can be fabricated fairly quickly
Disadvantages
- Cause pressure that results in underlying bone resorption and soreness
- Removability- not fixed like natural teeth
- Bulk
- Longevity- the need to reline to fit or wearing outÂ
- Risk of breakage
An important step in maintaining a healthy smile is to replace missing teeth. When teeth are missing, the remaining ones can change position, drifting into the surrounding space. Teeth that are out of position can damage tissues in the mouth. In addition, it may be difficult to clean thoroughly between crooked teeth. As a result, you run the risk of tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease, which can lead to the loss of additional teeth. In situations where only some teeth are missing we can also use a Removable Partial Denture