11
Nov
MARIETTA PATIENTS ASK ABOUT FULL DENTURES
Losing an entire arch of teeth can be devastating to the mouth’s overall appearance, health, and function. When patients in the Marietta, Georgia area are dealing with tooth loss due to trauma or disease, they can turn to a dedicated restorative dentist. Dr. David Lamothe of Smyrna Dental repairs smiles effectively and affordably. He provides many different methods of restoration, including dentures.
Dentures are available in two types:
- full or complete
- partial (“partials”)
The latter option is generally appropriate for patients missing a few or several teeth within the dental arch. They may desire a removable solution that is affordable. Additionally, they may not be good candidates for dental bridges, a fixed solution that is primarily recommended to replace a single tooth or a few teeth. The former option, full or complete dentures, is appropriate for patients who no longer have teeth in the upper or lower jaw. Or these patients may need to have remaining teeth in the upper and lower jaw(s) extracted or removed if they are in poor condition and cannot be preserved through other means.
Full dentures are made of acrylic. They are customized to fit the contours of each patient’s mouth precisely. They are also color-matched to blend in naturally with the rest of the smile and a patient’s facial features and skin tone.
Dentures are held in place with:
- Specialized clasps or attachments that connect to remaining teeth (partials)
- Natural suction in the mouth due to the precision-fit of the denture (full)
- Adhesives or other denture products that aid in holding the denture in place (especially helpful for patients with lower dentures)
After an examination and consultation with you, Dr. Lamothe may find that dentures are the optimal solution for more extensive tooth loss. Dental bridges rely on support from neighboring anchor teeth. So, individuals missing most or all of their teeth may not be well-suited to bridges. Suitability for bridgework also depends on the location of the missing teeth and existing teeth. Again, there must be some remaining healthy teeth near the missing or badly-damaged tooth to stabilize the replacement tooth.
Regardless of the best option for your smile, at Smyrna Dental, we will work with you to guarantee that getting and adjusting to your new teeth is smooth and hassle-free! To find out more, contact our team at (678) 374-3764 in the Marietta area today.