Versatile Smile Restoration With Full and Partial Dentures
Your smile is valuable to your oral health and your self-esteem, but what do you do when some or all of your teeth are missing? At Gentle Family Dentistry, Bakersfield restorative dentist Dr. Garger offers a way to complete your smile with implant and non-implant supported full and partial dentures. Keep reading to learn more about our denture solutions and how they can help you restore your smile.
What Are Full and Partial Dentures?
Full Dentures
Full dentures are the most highly recognized kind of dentures. They’re made of a row of false teeth set into a gum-colored base and are used to replace an entire arch of missing teeth. The base of the dentures is usually made of acrylic, although it can also be made of porcelain, nylon, resin, and metal. They use suction and/or adhesive to remain stable.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are designed to replace a few adjacent teeth instead of an entire arch. They feature strategically-placed metal hooks that attach to the teeth surrounding the empty space for support. These teeth are called the abutment teeth, and they should be healthy and strong to support the partial denture.
Implant-Supported Full and Partial Dentures
For both full and partial dentures, our patients have the option of implant-supported dentures. Instead of using suction, adhesives, or metal hooks for support, implant-supported dentures feature a minimal amount of dental implants. These implants can be used to permanently fix a denture into place, to hold an attachment to help hold a denture in place, or to hold an abutment that can help support a denture.
Benefits of Full and Partial Dentures
Depending on the kind of dentures you receive, you can enjoy certain benefits that make dentures a wonderful restorative option, including:
- Affordability
- Removable options
- Easy maintenance
- Improved speech
- Improved bite
- Restored confidence
- Unparalleled support
What To Expect From Treatment With Full and Partial Dentures
Step 1: Initial Consultation
Before you undergo smile restoration with full or partial dentures, you’ll undergo a consultation with our Bakersfield restorative dentist, Dr. Garger. During your consultation, your dentist will provide a thorough exam, including X-rays of your mouth and any remaining teeth. He’ll also review your medical history and ask you about your smile goals.
Step 2: Preparation
If you’re receiving full dentures and have remaining teeth in that arch, Dr. Garger will extract those teeth before moving forward. Partial dentures usually do not require extraction of healthy remaining teeth.
Step 3: Designing Your Dentures
To design your dentures, your dentist will take images and impressions of your mouth, jaw, and any remaining teeth. These will serve as the blueprints for your permanent denture restorations. You’ll return to our Bakersfield office once your dentures are ready for placement.
Step 4: Immediate and Conventional Dentures
For patients who don’t want to go without teeth while they’re waiting for their permanent dentures, Dr. Garger can offer immediate dentures. Immediate dentures can be made prior to extracting the teeth, and placed in the mouth at the time of tooth extraction. With this denture solution, you’ll have teeth right away after extraction, avoiding the social embarrassment of being seen by peers without teeth while waiting for the extraction sites to heal.
However, it’s usually necessary to make a second denture, or a more permanent conventional denture, after the healing time has completed. As the gum tissues shrink during healing, a series of soft liners are typically placed in the denture during the healing phase to help the patient become comfortable with their denture. After the healing phase has completed, a hard reline is necessary to tighten the fit, provided the immediate denture can serve as the final denture. If the changes are too great, you’ll need conventional dentures.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cost of your dentures will depend on numerous factors, including materials used, what kind of dentures you need, whether you opt for implant-supported or non-implant dentures, and your insurance. Your Bakersfield dentist, Dr. Garger will review costs with you during your initial consultation.
If you need help affording your treatment, don’t worry. Gentle Family Dentistry accepts insurance and financing options, to help ensure you get your treatment as soon as possible. We also recommend contacting your insurance provider beforehand to learn more about your plan’s coverage.
If your denture solutions aren’t fixed in place, you shouldn’t sleep with them in. Sleeping while wearing your dentures, or wearing them for too long, deprives your gums of saliva and encourages the growth of bacteria between your dentures and gum. This may lead to denture stomatitis, or oral thrush. Oral thrush is a yeast or fungal infection that can lead to:
- Red or white lesions
- Bleeding
- Loss of taste
- Sores
- Inflammation
- Difficulty eating and swallowing if the thrush spreads to your esophagus
Instead of sleeping with your dentures in, soak them in a glass of water or special denture solution.
Full dentures tend to last an average of five to 10 years, while partial dentures tend to last an average of 15 years. However, the longevity of your full or partial dentures also depends on the materials used and how well you care for your dentures. Be sure to visit our Bakersfield office for dental exams with Dr. Garger at least once every six months so he can ensure your dentures are working properly and repair them as needed.
- Practice proper oral hygiene by rinsing, as well as brushing and flossing before putting your dentures in.
- Clean your dentures every day with a toothbrush and denture toothpaste.
- Soak your dentures overnight in water or a specially made cleaning solution.
- Rinse your dentures thoroughly before putting them back in your mouth.
- Visit Dr. Garger as soon as possible if your dentures start to feel loose or make your mouth feel sore.
- Avoid using bleach, harsh bristles, or hot water to clean your dentures as these can weaken and destroy them.
- If your dentures are implant-supported and fixed in place, be sure to continue brushing and flossing as you would with your natural teeth.
Call Us For Smile Restoration With Full And Partial Dentures
Whether you choose to go for implant or non-implant options, full and partial dentures can help bring your smile back to its original form and function, improving your self-esteem, your health, and your quality of life.
If you’re interested in full and partial dentures, contact Gentle Family Dentistry and schedule an appointment with Dr. Garger by dialing 661-664-9900. You can also book an appointment online by filling out the contact form below and a friendly staff member will get back to you shortly. Gentle Family Dentistry proudly serves patients from Bakersfield and surrounding areas.