Which Type of Dentures Best Suits You?
Even with the advancement in dental health technology, patients still continue to suffer tooth loss. A tooth can be lost through an accident, due to disease or intentional extraction. Healthy and proper teeth are however essential to our survival. Not only do teeth help us with chewing and speaking, they also play part in our appearance thus can influence confidence and self-esteem. So, when a tooth or more are missing, some functions are interrupted which eventually affect your quality of life. In an attempt to restore the functions and improve oral health, dentists at King and Weston Dental may suggest the use of dentures.
Dentures are removable or fixed prosthetic devices used to replace missing teeth. They consist of a base or framework and the false teeth. The base acts as the foundation of the dentures and emulates the gums of the supporting teeth. It supports the artificial teeth and is usually created from the numerous impressions taken by your dentist. There are several materials used to make the base or framework but you will find that most dentures and partials in Toronto, ON, use acrylic resin. The false teeth are also made from acrylic resin or porcelain.
What Determines Your Choice of Dentures?
- Number of missing teeth
There are some types of dentures such as removable partial dentures that can only be used when a few teeth are missing. Therefore, if you are miss all or most your teeth, you have to consider options like full dentures or implant support dentures. The location of the missing teeth also needs to be considered as there are options such as partial dentures for front teeth and partial dentures for back teeth.
- Cost
This is an investment in your oral health and you want to be careful to make a choice that gives you great value for your money. The cost of dentures will vary based on the quality and aesthetics offered.
- Comfort and Convenience
It takes some time to adjust to living with dentures. In the early days they may feel a bit strange but with time you should get use to them. They should not get in the way of daily functions like chewing, speaking or even smiling. Your therefore have to consider the level of comfort offered by different types of dentures. Some factors that may influence comfort levels include the type of material used to make the denture. Run through your options while making a point to highlight the pros and cons of each. If you want a comfortable and natural-feeling denture, you can consider flexible dentures if you make a good candidate for them.
Another thing you need to consider is convenience. if you do not want to worry about your dentures falling off, consider getting fixed dentures rather than removable dentures.
- Dental Requirements
Your dentist will evaluate your situation to determine which type of dentures is most effective in meeting your oral health needs. This will mean going through certain details in your mouth such as the state of the remaining teeth as well as the condition of the gums and jaw bones.
If you have a considerable number of healthy teeth, partial dentures may be the best choice. The integrity of your jaw bone and gums also restricts your options. For instance, implant supported dentures cannot be used on patients with compromised jaw bones.
- Care and Maintenance
How much time and resources are you willing to invest in caring for your dentures? Just like natural teeth, false teeth are also at risk of plaque and tartar build up and therefore need to be regularly cleaned. If you opt for removable dentures, you will have to take them out every night and allow them soak in a denture cleaner before brushing them in the morning. At the same time, you should still continue to brush and floss your remaining natural teeth.
If all that is to much work for you, then you can opt for fixed dentures which are mostly cared for the same way as your natural teeth. In case there are any special steps to observe, your dentist will make sure to let you know.
Visit our dental clinic today to explore more about all the different types of dentures available and how they can benefit you.