Why are dentures necessary?
In the past, it was very common to have a tooth extracted as soon as there was a problem and replace them with false teeth. Modern dentists understand the importance of natural teeth and will often recommend anything that’s necessary to keep them.
However, people might still lose teeth during their lifetime. The most common reasons for tooth loss are due to uncontrolled periodontal disease or extensive decay. Sometimes teeth also need to be extracted due to trauma or genetic defects.
Not everyone will be missing the entire set of teeth, however even missing a few teeth could have significant impact on your chewing, speech and appearance. For example, missing a few front teeth could result in less support to your lips and cheeks, and this could cause facial muscle to sag. Loss of teeth could also cause the neighbouring teeth to tilt or drift into the space and disrupt the balance of your bite and overload your remaining teeth. People also often lose confidence or become self-conscious if their smiles showing multiple big gaps.
Types of dentures
Complete Dentures – If someone is missing all the teeth in the upper (maxillary) or lower (mandibular) arch, they may receive a complete set of dentures to replace all missing teeth, also known as full dentures.
Partial dentures – As the name suggests, partial dentures are used when a few teeth are missing. Partial dentures get supports from both your natural teeth and the gums.
Implants retained dentures – implant supported dentures (or all-on-4) provides a solution in extremely challenging situations, when there is little or no bone to support a denture, or when a patient experiences very loose and wobbly dentures and would like improvement of retention. Such dentures are retained by dental implants which are placed surgically inside your jaw bone and will be able to withstand considerable biting force and holds the denture in position.
Immediate dentures – When a few front teeth are planned to be extracted due to various of reasons, we would recommend immediate dentures for social and functional requirements. The dentures will be made prior to the teeth extractions, and will be inserted on the day of extraction, the patient would not need to hide at home to wait for healing to take place, as the teeth will be replaced on the same day. However, the healing process may cause your gum and bone to shrink in a few months, therefore immediate dentures will usually require reline or adjustment in a few months’ time. Occasionally, a complete new set might be necessary.
