Dentures- Full and Partial
Dentures BEFORE treatment by Yamamoto & Lee
Full dentures replace all the teeth in an arch. They are the most economical way to replace a whole arch of missing teeth. They have a pink acrylic base and plastic teeth. When you bite, the acrylic spreads the biting force over the gums. Since full dentures get no direct support from the jaw bones we refer to them as “gum mashers”.
Partial dentures are used when there are still natural teeth left in the arch. Depending on the type and design, partial dentures can get a lot of support from the remaining teeth, or no support. There are three types of partial dentures:
- Metal framework partials are the strongest and longest lasting. They get a lot of support from remaining teeth, but the teeth need to be strong enough to support them.
- Acrylic partials with wire clasps get very little support from the remaining teeth- they are gum mashers. The clasps simply help keep the denture from falling out.
- Flexible nylon based partials are the newest type, more similar to the acrylic and wire partials but are thinner and have pink nylon clasps, not wire. They get some support from the teeth, but they are mostly gum mashers.
Dentures AFTER treatment by Yamamoto & Lee
Compared to other ways of replacing teeth (fixed bridges and implants), dentures are less expensive and less invasive. They replace not just the missing teeth, but also the surrounding gum tissue which have shrunk away. And they are relatively easy to add to when more teeth are lost.
But you can’t chew as well on them, they can loosen at the most embarrassing moments, and food tends to get underneath them when eating.
Implants can improve the stability and retention of full and partial dentures, which makes them easier to eat with and less likely to come loose, but negates the cost advantage.
How do they look?
For the most part, they look pretty good. We try to make our dentures look as natural as possible. Sometimes it is difficult to hide the metal on partial dentures.
But many of our patients say people can’t tell they are wearing dentures!
