Denture 101: Full Vs. Partial Dentures

Have you lived in shame because of the loss of one or more of your teeth? Tooth loss is a common dental issue in dentistry, affecting thousands of adults globally. The stigma associated with premature tooth loss is still so pronounced, even in the 21st century. While there may be nothing you can do to regrow your natural teeth, there is a way to restore your smile. Usually, dentists in Pasadena, TX, offer several dental solutions in restorative dentistry that can transform smiles by replacing lost teeth. Take time to learn about the different alternatives there are including full and partial dentures near you and how they differ.

What Are Dentures?

They are tooth replacement oral devices used in dentistry for multiple teeth restorations. Dentures feature artificial replacement teeth attached to a pink gum-like base that sits on your jawbone as a replacement for your natural teeth. For the most part, dentures were known as tooth replacement oral devices for elderly toothless patients. However, in modern dentistry, partials and dentures in Pasadena, TX, 77502 are just as reliable for young and old people. The idea is to find a type of denture that best suits your needs and preferences.

In the manufacture of dentures, there are different types. The most common one is the immediate dentures, which are readily available and can be accessed in local stores. However, there is a different type that requires you to consult a dentist so that he/she can create the perfect fitting dentures for you. These types of dentures are called customized dentures. Either way, the type of dentures you get can either be partials or full dentures in Pasadena.

Full Dentures vs. Partial Dentures

Full dentures are the type of dentures that replace all your missing teeth. To get them, you cannot retain any of your natural teeth. If you are seeking treatment for partials and dentures in 77502, you will learn that full dentures are mostly used by patients who have few or no salvageable teeth. As such, the remaining natural teeth have to be extracted for them to receive full dentures.

On the other hand, partial dentures offer you an alternative to retain your natural teeth. According to dentists for partials and dentures in TX, partial dentures are perfect for patients who still need to save the rest of their natural teeth. As such, it means that you need to have several other of your natural teeth intact for you to get partial dentures. Another requirement is that you need to have more than three missing teeth in a row. If not, partial dentures would not be fit for your treatment, but instead, dental bridges or dental implants.

The Benefits of Full Dentures

1. No chance of tooth infections – to receive full dentures, all your teeth are removed. This will prove helpful if an underlying infection is a reason you lost most of your teeth. Therefore, by removing all the damaged and infected teeth, you will not be at future risk of tooth infections.
2. Achieving evenness – there will not be any discrepancies between the appearance and functionality of your dentures and your natural teeth.

The Benefits of Partial Dentures

1. You get to retain your healthy natural teeth – you do not have to go through the painful and rather traumatizing event of having all your remaining healthy teeth removed.
2. Partials are less expensive than full dentures since they only replace a few of your missing teeth.
3. You can get same-day partial dentures so that you do not have to spend a single day without teeth. This advantage is not always the case for people who need full dentures since they need a few days to heal from the tooth extraction before dentures are placed.
4. Partials can help protect the health and stability of the rest of your natural teeth. Teeth tend to shift when there is room in the jawbone. When you have lost multiple teeth, therefore, it means that your teeth are likely to move a significant distance from each other. While this introduces an orthodontic problem, it is also a health problem since it leaves your teeth weak. Instead, with partials, the health, strength, and stability of your natural teeth can be preserved.