If you have lost all of your natural teeth, whether from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury, complete dentures can replace your missing teeth - and your smile. Replacing missing teeth will benefit not only your appearance, but also your health. You'll be able to eat and speak - two things that most people often take for granted until their natural teeth are prematurely lost.

 

A complete denture replaces natural teeth and provides support for cheeks and lips. Without support from the denture, facial muscles sag, making a person appear older.

 

Types of Complete Dentures

 

There are various types of complete dentures. A conventional full denture is made and placed in the patient's mouth after the remaining teeth are removed and tissues have healed. Healing may take several months.

An immediate complete denture can be inserted as soon as the remaining teeth are removed. Measurements are taken and models of the patient's jaws are made during a preliminary office visit. A framework for the immediate complete denture is then designed and fitted specifically for your mouth. With immediate dentures, the denture wearer does not have to be without teeth during the healing period.

The framework of the complete denture, called the base, generally is made of flesh-covered acrylic plastic. Gum and bone tissues of the dental ridge support the denture. The base is held in place with a thin film of saliva.

If you have a few sound individual teeth, tooth roots may be used to provide support for an overdenture, once root canal therapy is performed on the teeth. Teeth can then be reduced to just above the gumline and a fabricated denture can be placed over the roots and the gums.

A complete denture also may be attached to several implants (artificial roots that attach directly to the jaw), which allows for a more secure fit. Properly healed implants can help reduce jaw and gum shrinkage. Whichever route you end up going, Dr. Polyviou will help you determine which type of denture is right for you.