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Denture Preparation And Placement Explained

Dental dentures can be a great help for people who no longer have their lower or upper teeth, or both. The right denture prep is important to ensure that dentures fit properly. Here, you will learn what dentures are, and how they are prepared correctly.

Dentures are devices placed on the gums, where the teeth used to be. The surrounding hard and soft tissues support the denture. Normally, dentures are composed of polymethylmethacrylate acrylic powder that is tissue-shaded. Acrylic teeth may be found in various colors and shapes.

Checking the Teeth

When a person seeks to have dentures fitted, the dentist evaluates first the condition of his bone structure and gums. The dentist may also recommend other necessary treatments before fitting the dentures in Rockville MD. In some instances, surgery is necessary to take away any teeth left over before placing the dentures.

After confirming that the patient really needs dentures, the dentist will make an impression of the patient's gums to identify every crevice and ridge to ensure that the dentures will fit properly.

Immediate Dentures

For instances wherein teeth should be extracted, an immediate denture is normally positioned to ensure that the extraction sites will properly heal. The immediate denture can also be the natural teeth's aesthetic replacement and it can also be modified easily to change the ridge contours while the site is healing.

To make immediate dentures as part of denture prep, the dentist uses a mold and shade chart to select replacement teeth that will resemble the patient's natural teeth; thus, minimizing any appearance changes.

Fitting the Final Dentures

The complete set of dentures are crafted when the gums are healthy once again, and have sufficiently healed. Complete dentures replace teeth in the mouth's lower or upper parts. Naturally, the gums will shrink through the process of healing, which takes around 6-12 months.

The immediate dentures, during this time, may need to be adjusted to accommodate the changes in the underlying bone structure and the gums. Such procedures may entail hard and soft relining to the immediate denture.

Overdenture and Removable Partial Dentures

An overdenture is considered a detachable dental prosthesis that rests on, and covers one or several of the remaining roots of the teeth. A dental prosthesis, like a removable partial denture, replaces some of the teeth, and is crafted around the remaining natural teeth.

Both the removable partial denture, and the overdenture may be attached to the remaining natural teeth, or the remaining tooth roots with plastic or metal anchors. Such connections improve the retention, and stability of both prostheses.

Overdentures, removable partial dentures and complete dentures must be removed while the patient sleeps at night. This allows the gums to be coated in saliva, which is important in controlling the oral cavity's naturally-occurring flora. The saliva also helps maintain a healthy mouth. With the right denture prep, a patient's dentures can last long and fit properly to the gums.