TRADITIONAL DENTURES
A traditional denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and adjacent tissues. It is made of acrylic resin, sometimes in combination with various metals. Complete dentures replace all the teeth in a jaw and fit directly on the gums and supporting bone. Partial dentures fill in the spaces created by missing teeth, resting partly on the gums and partly on the remaining teeth. Dentures are not attached to anything and simply rest on the gums. This means that the denture can get dislodged when chewing and often limits the realistic selection of food choices for the denture wearer.
Esthetic partial dentures can be made with new materials that allow us to disguise the clasps that hold the dentures to the teeth and make the dentures appear more natural.
Advantages:
Dentures allow for replacement of all missing teeth on one appliance.
Disadvantages:
The appliances are not permanently fixed and therefore must be taken out nightly to avoid infections in the mouth. In addition, movement of the dentures in the mouth during function may cause irritation and chafing of the tissues.
DENTURES & IMPLANTS
Fortunately, dentures can be attached to implants to help improve their fit and greatly increase chewing ability. As an added benefit, the implants prevent the steady bone loss caused by traditional dentures. Dentures attached to implants give support to the cheeks and lips creating a more youthful appearance. Speaking, chewing, swallowing and smiling are also improved due to the confidence that stems from having the dentures firmly secured in the mouth.
Disadvantages:
Dentures attached to implants must still be removed for cleaning. And, although they are much more secure than traditional dentures, they may break loose when chewing especially sticky food. Implant dentures may also cause some chafing and discomfort, however, because they are held firmly in position, they do not cause the level of chafing and soreness of traditional denture.
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