What Are Partial Dentures and How Can They Benefit You?

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2 What Are Partial Dentures Benefits For Patients?

If you have several missing teeth but not an entire arch, you may be eligible for partial dentures. In order to support a partial denture, you need to have some healthy teeth remaining on that arch. In this article, we are going to answer the question of ‘what are partial dentures’ and how they can benefit lost teeth.

So What Are Partial Dentures?

A partial denture can be used on your upper or lower jaw to replace multiple missing teeth. Essentially, dentures are removable false teeth. In addition to replacing missing teeth aesthetically, they also enable you to chew and eat with comfort. They also allow you to speak and smile with confidence.

If you are missing an arch of teeth or if your remaining arch is not healthy, your dentist may recommend having them extracted and issue you with a full denture instead. If you have had tooth extractions, you will wear a temporary denture for about six months, as this is how long it will take your gum and soft tissue to heal after tooth removal.

Some of the circumstances that might necessitate you wearing a partial denture include

Dental injury
Tooth extractions
Dental decay or gum disease

By maintaining a strict oral hygiene regime of twice-daily brushing and flossing, coupled with visiting your dentist every six months, you may be able to avoid tooth loss later in life.

What Are Partial Dentures Benefits For Patients?

By using a partial denture, you may be able to stop your remaining teeth from drifting (moving around in your mouth) to fill in the gaps. When a tooth drifts, it can loosen and be lost over time. Wearing a denture is an effective way to ensure that your remaining teeth stay secure in your mouth.

Partial dentures are removable tooth replacements and they should not be worn constantly. Your gums need a chance to recover after wearing them so your dentist will advise you to remove them at night while you are asleep. During this period your gums should be able to heal sore spots and recover from any irritation that may have developed.

A partial denture can be worn on the front or back jaw. Studies into customer satisfaction have found that patients are most satisfied with their dentures when they are used to replace missing front teeth. This could be because of the cosmetic replacement of the front teeth, and because the front teeth help us to bite into our food.

Missing teeth can cause the cheeks to appear sunken or hollow and replacing them adds volume and youthfulness to your appearance. Partial dentures can also improve facial harmony by restoring volume to your face.

Replacing missing teeth as soon as possible can help you to preserve the underlying soft tissue and jaw bone, and protect you from further tooth loss. If you still have questions about what are partial dentures, or concerns about your gums please contact us for an appointment:

Buderim: (07) 5317 1023
Caloundra: (07) 5315 8076