Dentures
Paradise Valley, AZ
 Losing permanent teeth can have devastating effects on your oral health, your overall health, and your self-confidence. There are multiple dental treatments that can address the problems caused by missing teeth.
If you've lost your teeth due to an accident, periodontal disease, or the natural aging process, dentures will replace the teeth you've lost. When you are talking about your smile, the first thing on your mind may be visiting a dentist in Paradise Valley, AZ.
Our professionals at David R. Moyer DDS can help you get your smile back with one of our types of dentures.
What Are Complete Dentures?
Complete dentures are removable appliances used for patients who have lost all of their teeth. The support required for full dentures comes from the surrounding soft and hard tissues of the mouth.
The procedure for placing a set of complete dentures starts after the complete restoration of the gum tissue to a healthy and favorable condition following tooth loss, which usually requires eight to 12 weeks. Some patients opt for a temporary set of dentures, known as same-day dentures, to use until the custom-made complete dentures are ready to use.
What Are the Benefits of Complete Dentures?
The most important benefit of complete dentures is that they restore the normal functioning of teeth. The new teeth will look and feel much better, and for this reason, dentures are known to be more natural-looking. Complete dentures have the advantage of improving a patient's looks. Tooth loss can cause major facial changes that might cause your face to sag as well as other symptoms associated with aging.
With complete dentures, you will gain sharper and more defined cheekbones and an improved ability to chew and bite food. When you suffer from missing or broken teeth, your eating habits change drastically. You will end up eating less because the whole process becomes hectic and draining. Fortunately, you can go back to eating and chewing like you used to before getting complete dentures.
Last but not least, complete dentures can be removed for proper cleaning and brushing. This means that complete dentures are one of the best solutions for missing teeth as they improve oral hygiene.
Cleaning Complete Dentures
Taking care of your mouth will be as important with complete dentures as with your natural teeth. You must make sure that your gums and mouth are as healthy as possible. Maintain a regular brushing habit with a soft-bristled toothbrush, making sure to scrub the gums, tongue, and ridges of your mouth. It is important to ensure that your dentures and mouth are both cleaned before fitting them each day to avoid bacteria buildup.
Complete dentures will allow you to regain your normal day-to-day life and feel great again. A good set of complete dentures can look as lifelike as your natural teeth, so you can smile confidently for years to come.
Removable Partial Dentures
When you have a missing tooth, the remaining teeth on either side may drift or change position, and this can damage the tissues of your mouth. You also face the risk of tooth decay and gum disease that will result in you losing more teeth when left untreated. You can have the gap from the missing tooth replaced and bridged using removable partial dentures. Our team here at David R. Moyer DDS can help assess your oral health and propose dental care plans that will restore your smile.
What Are the Types of Partial Dentures?
Partial dentures can be made from acrylic or metal, with acrylic being most affordable option. However, the acrylic base can be bulky and uncomfortable for those not accustomed to dentures.
Partial dentures made from cast metal have a metal framework which provides additional strength and a more comfortable fit. Metal clasps hold the bridge in place, and the dentist may want to add crowns to the existing teeth on either side of the appliance to strengthen them.
An adhesive made especially for dentures may be used for added security. The adhesive can come in a paste or power and offers enhanced stability, retention, and bite force. However, the adhesive should never be used as a fix for ill-fitting dentures. Also, never force the partial into place by biting down, as doing so may damage the metal clasps that secure it.
What Can You Expect When you Come for a Visit?
Your dentures will be fitted over several visits. First, our professionals will take an impression of your mouth to use to make a mold. This is used to create a wax or plastic model of the partial dentures, and adjustments will be made at each fitting. You may be given an immediate, or temporary, set of dentures to wear until your custom set is ready.
Your new appliance may feel strange at first; it may seem bulky and ill-fitting. Eating and speaking may take some getting used to as you adjust to your partial. Choose soft foods at first before gradually introducing harder foods into your diet. You may experience some irritation and soreness, and you may notice excess saliva. You may also experience slurred speech or altered taste. These are all typical symptoms, but if the soreness persists, we need to make adjustments.
How Do You Care for Your Partials?
Clean your dentures daily with a special cleanser made just for this purpose. Do not use toothpaste as this can be too abrasive. Also, use a soft brush made especially for dentures. Keep the appliance moist by soaking it at night to keep it from losing its shape. With partial dentures, you have to follow hygiene and proper dental practices to care for your teeth and handle your dentures. Brushing the dentures daily to avoid food deposits and plaque from collecting and proper diet is important to have healthy teeth.
Implant Supported Dentures
An alternative to traditional dentures are implant supported dentures. Implant supported dentures involve installing multiple dental implants in the patient's mouth, then using the implants to either temporarily or permanently secure the dentures in place. Our team at David R. Moyer, DDS can recommend implant supported dentures or other teeth-replacement options for patients seeking to restore their oral health.
Fixed Full-Arch Implant-Supported Bridges
The fixed full-arch implant-supported bridge is a hybrid of the All-on-4® Treatment Concept and traditional bridges. The bridge is anchored to either natural teeth or artificial anchors, with either implants or crowns filling the gaps between the anchors. One benefit to the fixed full-arch implant-supported bridge is that the structure can be adjusted or fixed – as opposed to requiring a complete replacement – if one or more of the implants are damaged or removed. However, some breaks cannot be repaired, and this method is new when compared to other, older methods.
All-on-4 Dentures
All-on-4 dentures are a set of dentures that are anchored in the mouth by four implants. The appeal of this method is that dentures do not need to be removed and placed back into the mouth. However, with only four implants, this method may require significant repairs or a complete replacement if even one implant is damaged or removed.
Implant Supported Overdentures
Implant supported overdentures are an option for patients with significant jaw bone loss. This method involves installing four or more dental implants in the mouth, then creating a custom-made prosthesis which attaches to the dental implants. Like traditional dentures, the prosthesis will need to be removed for nightly cleaning. And although this method involves orthodontia with low durability, repairs and replacements are typically cheaper and quicker than they are with other implant supported denture solutions.
Implant Retained Overdenture
Implant retained overdentures are a minimally-invasive procedure that involves installing two implants on the lower jaw – or four implants on the upper jaw – and custom-making a denture appliance that attaches to the dentures. This method is closest to traditional dentures, making it a cheap and quick option. However, it also has the drawbacks of traditional dentures, such as wiggling in the mouth, the potential need for refitting, and the need to remove them for nightly cleanings.
Benefits of Implant Supported Dentures
Implant supported dentures have a more stable, secure fit in the mouth – even implant retained overdentures which closely resemble traditional dentures. Implant supported dentures tend to fit more snugly and comfortably than traditional dentures. And implant supported dentures can stop jaw bone loss due to a combination of the implants mimicking the functionality of natural teeth and the potential for bone graft surgery prior to installing the implants.
Implant supported dentures can be a significant step towards restoring the oral health of patients who have lost a significant number of natural teeth.
Request an Appointment for Dentures
Our team at David R. Moyer, DDS can perform a dental exam on your mouth and recommend an oral care plan that will recover the functionality, health, and aesthetics of your mouth.
For more information on the many different types of dentures available, and to find out how you can benefit from them, call our office at 480.935.6295 to schedule your appointment today! |
