Oral health is crucial for a person’s general health and well-being. Full loss or a partial teeth loss can affect a person’s self- image, confidence and also put the person at risk for nutritional as well as systemic disorders. Once the teeth are lost, speech and chewing functions are hampered along with aesthetics. Losing teeth is the most common complaint seen among the general public. If you’ve lost all of your natural teeth, whether, from gum disease, tooth decay or injury, replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. Dentures are time- tested methods to replace the natural teeth and help restore your smile. Also, dentures make it easier to eat and speak better than you could without teeth—things that people often take for granted. Each type of denture comes with its own pros and cons. Read on to find out which type of denture is the right choice for you.

COMPLETE DENTURE:

A complete denture is a removable, full-coverage prosthesis given to patients with no natural remaining teeth in one or both the jaws. It is customized to your size, height, and width of your jaw. Therefore, all complete dentures are different from one another although the process of making it remains the same. A complete denture is made to restore aesthetics, speech and masticatory functions. Patient comfort while getting the denture is the main goal, dentists aspire to give. While dentists strive to increase the longevity of the denture, they aren’t necessarily ‘fitted’ for life. With time, a denture becomes loose as the underlying bone supporting it starts to resorb away. Resorption is a physiological process which occurs mainly due to aging, where the supporting bone starts to fade away leaving behind little to no support for the denture. Because of this, you will need a regular professional adjustment.

To improve the longevity of the dentures, they are to be handled with great care. Regular cleaning of it using a denture cleaner (not toothpaste), keeping them moist when not in use so they don’t lose their shape are few of the things that need to be taken care of. Your dentist can recommend the best methods of taking care of your dentures.

REMOVABLE PARTIAL DENTURES(RPD):

A removable partial denture is a prosthesis which replaces only a few of your lost teeth and is designed to be placed in the mouth during use and removed when not in use. The general criteria for getting an RPD is the availability of support from the adjacent teeth. An RPD is easy –to- repair, easy-to-make treatment, available for patients who are looking for a cost friendly option. There are pros and cons to every appliance and the RPD is no different. The biggest pro of the RPDs is it being economical, but the list of cons is somewhat bigger when compared to the pros. Gum irritation, instability of the prosthesis are some of the most common complaints among RPD users. But as medicine is a constantly changing field, there are better alternatives to an RPD.

FIXED PARTIAL DENTURES(FPD/BRIDGE):

A fixed partial denture or an FPD is a prosthesis which unlike the CD or RPD sits fixed to the adjacent teeth. It replaces the lost teeth and takes support from the adjacent natural teeth with the help of dental cement, like a crown. The adjacent teeth are root canal treated first and then prepared to make room for the bridge. Healthy bone support is the main requirement for getting an FPD. The success of the FPD also depends on the preparation of the teeth and their right fit over them.

There are several materials of FPD crowns available in the market today. PFM, acrylic, zirconia are few of the most commonly used crowns in India. Every material has varying strengths and varying advantages, so be sure to ask your dentist to recommend a bridge which is the right fit for you.

DENTURES CAN ALSO BE CLASSIFIED AS FOLLOWS:

• This full removable denture is made and placed in your mouth after the remaining teeth are removed and tissues have healed, which may take several months.
• This removable denture is inserted on the same day that the remaining teeth are removed. Your dentist will take measurements and make models of your jaw during a preliminary visit. You don’t have to be without teeth during the healing period but may need to have the denture relined or remade after your jaw has healed.
• Over denture. Sometimes some of your teeth can be saved to preserve your jawbone and provide stability and support for the denture. An over denture fits over a small number of remaining natural teeth after they have been prepared by your dentist. Implants can serve the same function, too.

WHY ARE DENTURES IMPORTANT FOR YOU?

The loss of natural teeth can have a huge impact on a person’s self-confidence. People feel embarrassed to smile without their teeth. Apart from psychological issues, missing teeth impose a problem for surrounding oral structures.

• Without teeth, the surrounding facial muscles start to sag giving you a much older look.
• The adjacent teeth start to drift causing it to tilt into the empty space due to which cleaning the space

  becomes much more difficult. 

• As cleaning and brushing take a hit, space becomes a breeding ground for bacteria to thrive in resulting in decay of the adjacent teeth.
• The underlying bone starts to resorb which would make the adjacent teeth to become loose. Eating and talking become a difficult task.

With the help of dentures, all of the above-mentioned problems can be avoided. So, if you’re missing a few teeth and want to get a smile makeover, be sure to visit your dentist and explore all your options.