Dentures and Partials
Dental Implants Louisville, KY
 Dentures are removable oral prosthetics designed to replace missing teeth and restore the function and appearance of your smile. If you want to replace a few missing teeth or repair an entire arch, our experienced dental team in Louisville, KY can customize dentures to fit comfortably and securely in your mouth. We craft dentures from high-quality materials that closely resemble natural teeth and gums, which provides excellent durability, aesthetics, and functionality. We understand the inconveniences and risks associated with missing teeth and recommend dentures to help you regain the confidence to eat, speak, and smile with ease.
Types of Dentures
We offer different types of dentures, to aid in replacing missing teeth. Which type of denture you need or prefer will depend on preference and severity of tooth loss.
Partial Dentures
Removable partial dentures consist of artificial teeth attached to a gum-colored plastic base. The base is sometimes attached with a metal framework to hold the denture piece in place within the mouth. Our dentists recommend partial dentures if you have one or several teeth remaining in the bottom or upper jaw. A partial denture not only fills the space left after losing teeth but also prevents the remaining teeth from shifting. A precision partial denture has internal attachments instead of clasps attached to the adjacent teeth crowns.
Full Dentures
Compete dentures may be either immediate or conventional. Conventional dentures are made after our dentists remove teeth and the gums have started healing. It is ready for fitting in the mouth after about eight to 12 weeks from the time when the teeth were removed. On the other hand, immediate dentures are fabricated in advance and are placed immediately after the teeth are removed. Therefore, you do not have to remain without teeth while the gums are healing after teeth extractions. Nonetheless, your bones and gums get smaller over time, particularly during the healing period after teeth removal. As such, you will need more adjustments for immediate dentures to ensure proper fit as your gums heal. These prostheses are only a temporary solution until you have your traditional dentures fitted.
Overdentures
When you are missing all of your upper or lower teeth, you have several options available to replace those teeth. You may opt for traditional dentures that sit on your gums. You may also choose dental implants or overdentures. If you want comfort and an enhanced level of teeth function, overdentures are a great option. These dentures are removable; they are attached to dental implants or natural teeth. Overdentures combine implants with dentures (also known as implant-anchored dentures), allowing you to feel like you have a set of natural teeth.
When you have overdentures, you can bite into almost anything you want to. Having missing teeth presents many challenges and problems, including possible loss of bone or jawbone deterioration. It can also impair your ability to eat, often affecting digestion and leading to malnutrition. We can replace your missing teeth with overdentures or implant-supported removable dentures, allowing you to regain your bite function and facial appearance.
Benefits of Dentures
Dentures can greatly help you if you have missing teeth. They will first improve your smile, and the best part is that no one will even notice you are using them, as dentures nowadays resemble real teeth. Dentures will also allow you to speak properly and chew your food effectively. Chewing is always a common problem with people who have missing teeth. It causes them to eliminate important foods like crunchy vegetables and fruits. This, in turn, causes a deficiency of important nutrients, creating other health problems. Dentures can significantly help you improve your oral hygiene as it allows you to clean your mouth well and eat good foods to improve dental health.
The Denture Process
During the first visit to our office, our dentists will evaluate you for dentures. The dentists will examine the gums as well as the supporting bone structure to see if they are in good shape. In some situations, oral surgery may be required to correct bony ridges likely to interfere with the denture stability. In other cases, our dentists may have to remove the remaining teeth before placing dentures.
Next, an impression of the gums is taken to identify each ridge and crevice in order to ensure the dentures fit properly. If the remaining teeth are to be removed, you will receive an immediate denture, which is typically placed to ensure proper healing after extractions. It also serves as an aesthetic replacement for natural teeth. Immediate dentures ensure you have teeth that you can use to bite and chew during the healing period.
Immediate dentures need to be modified over time because of the changes occurring in the ridge contours when healing until you get the final dentures. When constructing immediate dentures, our dentists uses a mold chart and shade to make replacement teeth that closely match your real teeth. The final dentures are fabricated after the gums have healed and have been restored to their healthy condition.
Caring for Your Dentures
No matter what type of dentures you have, you need to clean them, even if they are artificial teeth. When you eat, food particles stick all around your denture and can create bacteria that will injure your gums and other remaining teeth. Therefore, remove your dentures, run them over clean water, brush them and ensure you soak them in water whenever you are going to sleep. If you have an implant supported denture, brush your prosthetic the same you would your natural teeth. Be sure to seek more advice from our dentists if you still have questions about caring for your dentures.
Let United Smile Centres Provide Your Dentures
Visit us at United Smile Centres to get more information concerning dentures. Learn how they help improve your bite function and aesthetics as well. Call us at (502) 899-3000 to schedule an appointment! |
