Cosmetic Tulsa Dentures
Dentures are a solution of last resort. Many people assume that they will require dentures as they age, but losing teeth is not a normal part of the aging process. If you care for your teeth well and guard against periodontal (gum) disease, you should be able to keep your teeth for a lifetime.
Saving even a few natural teeth is better than losing them all. Natural teeth or even portions of natural teeth (roots) can help you retain bone in your jaw and can act as stable supports for bridges, overdentures or removable partial dentures. Your dentist will try to save as many as possible of your natural teeth. If that's not possible, you may have to consider a complete denture or an implant-supported denture.
The good news is that dentures aren't what they used to be. With newer materials and improved technology, dentists can fashion dentures that fit comfortably, appear natural and help you stay healthier. Denture problems, such as clicking, slipping, gum irritation, staining and odor are signs your dentures aren't fitting properly and may need to be adjusted, relined or remade.
Although dentures may look like your natural teeth, they cannot work like them. Like artificial limbs, dentures cannot truly replace their natural counterparts. You will have to learn how to use your dentures, which can take several months. Simple actions like speaking and eating may feel different, and you may have to learn to make adjustments.
Types Of Tulsa Dentures: Complete Or Partial
Complete Dentures
Complete dentures cover your entire jaw, either upper or lower. Some people refer to them as plates
. Complete dentures rest directly on the gum that covers the bone. However, a type of full denture, called an overdenture, fits over a few remaining teeth that have been shaped by your dentist.
Maintaining a few natural teeth and replacing the missing teeth with an overdenture has several advantages:
- Your natural teeth help preserve bone.
- Your remaining natural teeth bear some of the chewing pressure, which reduces pressure on other areas of the jaw.
- Your remaining teeth improve the stability of the denture and make it less likely to shift in your mouth.
- Your sense of where your jaw is in space and the pressure you are placing on the denture is better than the sense you have after losing all of your teeth.
- Keeping some teeth can help you psychologically accept your denture.
An overdenture usually is used in the lower jaw where a few teeth can be maintained, and is an option for almost anyone. However, the teeth that will be preserved must meet certain standards of health. Canines and premolars are the most common teeth selected because of their root length and position in the jaw.
The teeth will have to be shaped to fit the denture. Since the shaping may expose the tooth's living pulp, the teeth usually need root-canal treatment, which removes the pulp and replaces it with filling material. The teeth are covered with thin metal castings called copings, which fit into openings in the denture. Attachments also can be put on the copings so the denture is better retained in the mouth.
Overdentures also can fit over implants instead of natural teeth. In fact, implants originally were developed to give people artificial roots
on which to place bridges or dentures in the lower jaw. The denture can fit directly onto the implants, or a metal bar can link implants together, providing support for the denture.
Jan L Cobble DDS - Providing services in cosmetic dentistry, dentures and dental implants to the area of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Tulsa dentistry
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