Partial and Full Dentures – Knowing The Difference

It's not surprising that there are a large number of people who do not understand their options when talking about dentures. Both partial and full dentures offer important yet different solutions for missing teeth. Perhaps what is most important of all is that dentures can help patients enjoy eating more naturally and smiling as they did when they had their own natural teeth [1]. This helps to reduce self-conscious feelings and improves self-esteem and personal self-worth. That said what is the actual difference between these two kinds of dentures?

Partials Frequently Use Clasps That Effectively Snap Into Place

When a patient has healthy teeth remaining, partial dentures are usually the best option. This type of denture is removable and is sometimes referred to as a removable bridge. While fixed bridges are permanent and attached to surrounding teeth, partials frequently use clasps that effectively snap into place using remaining teeth [2]. This helps to fill in spaces with denture style teeth. Full dentures, on the other hand, offer a good solution when a large number of natural teeth have gone missing or must be removed. When a large number of upper and/or lower teeth are missing, a dental care provider will usually create something known as a traditional denture.

Placed In The Mouth Right After The Extraction Process

When a patient requires tooth extractions, the dental care provider will take impressions of the mouth prior to removing natural teeth. When this is done, an immediate denture is placed in the mouth right after the extraction process. Once healing has occurred, the patient may require traditional dentures to replace the immediate that was initially placed. In many cases a denture must be realigned or refitted to accommodate gums that have healed. Immediate dentures require adjustments following extraction once the jawbone and gums heal and change over time. Keeping this simple fact in mind it is typically the case that almost all dentures will need periodic adjustments.

A Wide Range Of Oral Health Problems That Can Result

Most dental care providers recommend that dentures be realigned at least every two or three years. Ultimately dentures should be replaced about every 5 to 7 years. Keep in mind that when there is a lack of natural teeth, remaining jaw bone mass will shrink over time. This results in dentures becoming loose where they eventually do not fit correctly. As a note, those who have lost teeth through disease, injury, trauma or old age should not delay in getting the treatment that they require. Remember that when teeth go missing, there is a wide range of oral health problems that can result. Contact your Walnut Creek dentist, Dr. Darvishzadeh at Walnut Creek Dental today to learn more about partial and full dentures.

References:
[1] Ways of Fixing Loose Dentures
[2] Dentures And Partial Dentures