Dentures are a convenient and cost-effective solution for replacing multiple missing teeth Whilst missing teeth may have an obvious impact on the appearance of your smile, they can also greatly impact your oral function and health. Dentures are one of the most popular solutions for replacing multiple missing teeth. Dr Darryl Beresford and the team at Beresford Dental – The Smile Pros offer a range of denture options that are comfortable and will help to restore your oral function. Types of dentures? The type of denture you receive will depend on your individual situation. Depending on whether you need to replace all of your teeth, a single upper or lower arch, or just a few teeth, Dr Darryl Beresford at the team at Beresford Dental – The Smile Pros have a range to denture options to suit all concerns. All options fall under the category of either conventional full dentures or partial dentures. Replacement may be after healing is completed or when the teeth are extracted (immediate denture). Partial dentures Partial dentures can be used to replace one or more missing teeth. This style of denture retains the existing healthy teeth, filling in the gaps and helping to distribute forces from chewing and grinding. Dr Darryl Beresford prides himself on offering high quality dentures that not only look natural, but are comfortable and securely fitted. Conventional full dentures Conventional full dentures are completely removable and cover an entire arch for patients who are missing all of the teeth i.e. the maxillary (upper) or mandibular (lower arch). Conventional dentures are arguably the simplest way to replace multiple teeth and can be maintained easily by patients at home. Many patients adapt to a complete denture in the upper jaw and are satisfied with this relatively simple treatment. With the mandibular (lower jaw) complete denture some are satisfied but many struggle to adapt with poor suction and tongue movement displacing the denture during function. Contemporary specialist techniques such as the neutral zone or suction impression technique can help provide a better denture lower denture. Further Reading WHAT IS A SUCTION DENTURE AND DO THEY HELP? Before and after new complete dentures Complete Dentures Implant-Supported Dentures Implant-supported dentures are, as the name suggests are supported and retained to the mouth using a number of dental implant fixtures and attachment systems. In the lower jaw one implant is enough to improve the quality of life for many patients however two implants is the most common treatment worldwide. With two implants there is some rotation around the axis between the implants and although many patients are very satisfied about 10 to 15 % of patients are not. Increasing the number of implants to three implants or more reduces rocking and provides greater stability. Over-denture can be on one, two, three or four implants. In the upper jaw 4 implants is the minimum recommended for success and if the implants are small in size a bar may be required to link and share the load of individual implants. Your suitability for implant-supported dentures and the type of implant-supported dentures you receive will depend on your specific condition. Bar over-denture removable to clean, chewing function is fixed. Further Reading All on 4 Video Series with Dr Darryl Beresford What are the advantages of dentures? Improved oral function – dentures can help patients to eat foods that they may not have been able to eat with missing teeth. It can also aid with speech and improved articulation. Improved aesthetic – high quality dentures, that are well fitted almost look and feel like natural teeth. Muscle support – dentures can help to reduce the appearance of a sunken, aged jawline by aiding in jaw muscle and bone stimulation. How long do dentures last? Well made pairs of dentures will last approximately 10 years with good care and maintenance. Over time with complete dentures that are only tissue fitting the shape of your gums and jaw may change, meaning that your dentures may become loose or uncomfortable. When this happens, you should book an appointment to have your dentures relined. This is recommended every 3 to 5 years. With implant supported dentures there will be less soft tissue changes and discomfort but with the increased chewing forces made possible by the supporting implants there is generally more wear on the teeth and risk of fracture. If you are missing multiple teeth, or wish to find out more about dentures services, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team! If you are missing multiple teeth, or wish to find out more about dentures services, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team! Don’t forget to share this via Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and LinkedIn.