Dentures are a popular option for tooth replacement for people who have lost some or all of their natural teeth due to dental disease or trauma to the mouth. With more types of dentures available all the time, it is important to understand your options before moving forward with this procedure.
Conventional and Immediate Complete Dentures
Complete dentures are for people who no longer have any of their natural teeth remaining. Your gums must have healed from tooth extraction before you are ready to wear a complete set of dentures in your mouth. The typical timeframe to receive conventional dentures is eight to 12 weeks. However, the Ideal Dental team will ensure that you have well-fitting temporary dentures in the meantime.
Immediate dentures are an alternative to conventional dentures for people who would like to have permanent tooth replacement as soon as possible. You can receive immediate dentures as soon as our dentists have extracted the last of your natural teeth.
An important thing to keep in mind if you choose immediate complete dentures is that your gums and the bones in your mouth will shrink over time. This is especially important during the healing phase immediately after having your teeth extracted. You should be prepared to come in for more fittings and adjustments for this reason. Many people use immediate complete dentures as a temporary solution until they can receive traditional complete dentures several weeks later.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures may be an appropriate choice when you have lost one natural tooth or several consecutive natural teeth. Dentures that replace only some of your teeth consist of artificial teeth connected to a plastic base that resembles the natural color of the roof of your mouth. Partial, conventional, and immediate dentures are all removable.
Dental bridges are another option to replace a single missing tooth or a few missing teeth in a row. A wire bracket that attaches to the back of each tooth on either side of the missing tooth or teeth holds the replacements in place.
Implant-Supported Dentures
People who prefer a permanent and non-removable option for replacement teeth may wish to consider implant-supported dentures. The process requires the dental team at Ideal Dental to place four to eight tiny wire implants in your jaw to hold the dentures permanently in place.
One major advantage to this tooth replacement option is that you can eat foods you would not be able to eat with standard full or partial dentures. The process may require your dentist to remove a small portion of bone from one area of your jaw and move it to the area that will support the new implants.
Schedule an Appointment
Please do not hesitate to contact Ideal Dental with additional questions about types of dentures or to request a consultation with us. Simply find your local Ideal Dental office and make an appointment to take the first step.