Partial Dentures

Generally required by people who still have some of their natural teeth and only need to replace a few that are missing. These can be made from  Acrylic, Metal, or Flexible material. They can also be combined together for a strong invisible denture.We can also add additional teeth over time if required.

The main benefits to a partial denture are:

  • Improved appearance and self- confidence. Having your smile back will of course do wonders for you confidence and ability to socialise.
  • Better chewing. It will restore your bite and ability to chew.
  • Improved speech. Your front top teeth are very important in making certain sounds- V and F are made when the bottom lip contacts the edges of the central upper incisors.
  • Prevent teeth moving and the consequences of missing teeth. If spaces are left long term, we commonly see the teeth opposite over-erupt. Over many years, they can grow to almost touch the other gum. If at this point, you decide you want something done, the treatment isn’t going to be so simple. Neighbouring teeth to the space can also shift and tilt creating areas that lead to food packing, plaque accumulation, gum disease and tooth decay. The longer spaces are left the more chance of movement and problems. However not all teeth will move and if they haven’t for a number of years, it is unlikely they will start.
  • Reduce the risk of TMJD
  • Prevent facial changes- by helping support your muscles, cheeks and lips
  • Protect other teeth. Reduce the likelihood of problems with other teeth by taking pressure off them. The fewer teeth you have, the increased stress they receive and the greater the risk of tooth wear, periodontal disease and the more likely fillings and restorations are to fail.
  • Preparing for further tooth loss- by allowing you to develop the necessary muscle control for wearing complete dentures successfully in the future.

WHAT ARE COBALT CHROME DENTURES?

Cobalt Chrome dentures have a metal base plate or framework that sits on and around the natural teeth onto which denture teeth are attached by acrylic.

How they Work?

Stability (not rocking) and retention (grip) come from the metal framework gripping the natural teeth so will be affected by both the number and position of your remaining teeth.

The denture design is also critical. Time must be spent on the planning and preparing the teeth to make sure the denture has the best possible grip and resistance to your chewing forces.

They can be ‘tooth borne’, (supported just by your teeth) which is always preferred where possible or ‘tooth and mucosal borne’ denture, (supported by both teeth and mucosa).

What are their Advantages?

  • Most comfortable to wear
  • Easiest to adapt to
  • Smaller, thinner and more streamlined
  • The best grip (retention)
  • Best chewing experience
  • The most hygienic
  • Very close fitting and precise
  • Are designed specific to each mouth- numerous features can be incorporated to improve the denture.
  • Very strong
  • Patients have good confidence in wearing them.
  • Clasps can easily be tightened to increase the grip.

What are their Disadvantages?

  • More expensive initially and when any changes need to be done
  • Some changes are difficult to do, (such as adding teeth)- this depends on the design and a remake is occasionally needed
  • Problems with natural teeth such as fractured fillings will affect the fit of the framework
  • Can be bent if sat on and will need to be remade
  • Are made of metal which may be visible
  • More tricky to make and get right.

THE ULTIMATE THERMOPLASTIC UNDETECTABLE PARTIAL DENTURES

What if there were a way to replace missing teeth that didn’t involve any expensive surgical procedures?

What if there were an affordable method of tooth replacement that didn’t sacrifice aesthetics?

What if there existed a partial denture that could actually blend in with your natural dentition so that it appeared invisible in your mouth?

With the introduction of Flexible Dentures, nobody has to know that you have missing teeth.

What are the Advantages?

  • Easy to adapt to
  • Comfortable to wear
  • Smaller and thinner than acrylic dentures
  • Great grip (retention) much better than acrylic dentures
  • Look great- blend very naturally with your gums
  • Contain no metal
  • Good chewing experience
  • Slightly flexible
  • Don’t require as much muscle control as acrylic
  • Very close fitting and precise
  • Almost unbreakable
  • Provide good confidence in wearing

What are their Disadvantages?

  • More expensive
  • Less hygienic than a Cobalt chrome denture
  • Changes cannot be made- no relines, tooth additions etc. so will need to be remade if problems occur and when they lose their fit over time.
  • Sometimes difficult to take in and out (this obviously has its advantages)
  • Require special cleaning
  • May need to cover the palate if teeth are missing on both sides – this affects telling temperature and the chewing experience. An alternative is two small dentures one for either side
  • If replacing a single tooth are small and easily misplaced.

Best Situations?

  • Where the mouth is unlikely to change
  • Great for a single missing tooth at the side or back (premolars/molars)
  • In patients where muscle control is compromised but not dexterity- for putting them in and taking them out
  • Where allergy to metal or metal free denture desired
  • As a thinner more grippy alternative to acrylic dentures when many teeth have been lost.

WHAT ARE ACRYLIC DENTURES?

Acrylic dentures consist of the denture teeth attached to an acrylic base plate.

How they Work?

Stability (not rocking) and retention (grip) come from 3 aspects of the acrylic denture:

  1. The denture fitting closely and tightly against the gums and natural teeth
  2. The use of wrought metal clasps (retainers) to grip the teeth
  3. In cases where only a few teeth remain; a well fitting base plate, covering as much of the hard tissue, (that’s the jawbone, palate and ridges) in your mouth as possible.

They are ‘mucosal borne dentures’- meaning they get support (resist chewing forces) by sitting on your ridges.

What are their Advantages?

  • Cheapest
  • Quick and easy to make (though not necessarily to get right)
  • Easy to change- add teeth, reline etc.
  • Easiest to take in and out

What are their Dis-advantages?

  • least comfortable and well tolerated
  • least stable
  • least grip (retention)
  • often bigger and more bulky (unless a single front tooth)
  • require more muscle control
  • tend to break more easily
  • need to cover the palate if teeth are missing on both sides – this affects telling temperature and the chewing experience.