Removable Appliances
The beauty of dentures today is that they are designed to be comfortable and functional. They are very similar in appearance to natural teeth, and can improve a smile or facial appearance.

An important step in maintaining a healthy smile is to replace missing teeth. When teeth are missing, the remaining teeth can change position, drifting into the surrounding space. Teeth that are out of position can damage tissues in the mouth. In addition, it may be difficult to thoroughly clean between crooked teeth. As a result, you run the risk of tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease, which can lead to the loss of additional teeth.

A denture helps you to properly chew food, a difficult task when you are missing teeth. In addition, a denture may improve speech and prevent a sagging face by providing support for lips and cheeks

When most or all your natural teeth have been lost, dentures provide many
benefits:
    • Restore your self-esteem
    • Regain your eating ability
    • Aid speaking ability
    • Give support back to the lips and cheeks (giving you a natural and younger
    appearance).

A Complete Denture is placed in the patient's mouth after all the teeth have been extracted and the gum tissue has healed. Healing takes anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, depending upon the patient.

An Overdenture usually requires that at least 2 roots be kept. These roots may be used to hold the denture in place by placing inserts in the roots and in the denture. The denture then attaches to the roots. These roots also give support to the denture and help retain the ridge the denture sits on.

An Implant-Retained Denture is similar to an Overdenture, but uses implants as anchors. See implants

An Immediate Denture is placed the same day the teeth are extracted. The advantage to an Immediate Denture is that the patient does not have to be without teeth during the healing period.

A Partial Denture or "removable bridge" replaces one or more missing teeth, but there must be teeth remaining for the partial to attach to. Unlike a Fixed Bridge, a partial is removable. A partial will prevent other teeth from shifting, preserving your remaining teeth. A removable partial denture fills in the space created by missing teeth and fills out your smile.

A Valplast Nesbit replaces 1 to 2 teeth and contains no metal,. Instead it has flexible gum colored arms. Patients prefer them to bridges because they are less costly than fixed bridges and adjacent teeth do not have to be cut down.

 

 

Today's dentures are comfortable, natural in appearance and functional.