A denture is the replacement of many or all of a person’s missing teeth.  Dentures can be removable and rest on your gums or they can be anchored by implants.  Traditional dentures rest on your gums and are removable replacements of missing teeth.  A traditional denture can be complete or partial.  A complete denture replaces all of your missing upper or lower teeth.  A partial denture can replace a few or many missing teeth and uses the remaining teeth you have as anchors for the partial denture to stay in place.  Traditional complete dentures and partial dentures are not ideal as they can move around and cause pain and sores and make it difficult to eat many types of food.  The other type of denture is an implant denture which can be completely supported or simply kept in place by implants.  These implant dentures are significantly more stable and allow you to eat all types of food without the fear of the denture falling out when you laugh, smile and eat.  Click here to learn more about these dentures which are known as ‘All on 4 Implant Dentures’ or ‘Snap-In Dentures’ respectively.

What are the benefits of dentures?

• Restores your chewing capacity.  With a little practice you can learn to eat more effectively than you did with broken and missing teeth.
• Restores your youthful appearance.  Dentures can give you a confident smile and help fill out the appearance of your face, lips and profile.
• Restores your confident smile.  It is amazing to see the confidence boost and overall positive change that a beautiful set of dentures gives to our patients.
• Restores your ability to speak clearly.  Dentures can eliminate slurred speech and difficulty pronouncing certain words.
• Most cost effective. Dentures are often more cost-effective than other methods of replacing missing teeth.

What are dentures made out of?

There are a few different common materials used to make traditional dentures. The most common being acrylic resin. This material is very lightweight and strong but can wear faster than porcelain.  Porcelain is another option, but it is heavier and more expensive. It is much more wear resistant than acrylic.  Metal is sometimes used as a framework to give added strength to dentures and partial dentures. There are even flexible materials that can be used to make partial dentures but are not expected to last as long as porcelain or traditional acrylic.  With recent technological advancements in 3D printing and milling, 3D printed and milled dentures are now being explored but there is not much research yet on the longevity of these techniques.

For implant dentures, essentially, we have the same material options.  Zirconia, Acrylic Resin, and Metal.  Solid zirconia, which is considered a ceramic, is the most popular material due to its strength and ability to create amazing esthetics.  Sometimes a metal bar is used as a substructure with zirconia over the top for extra strength.  Acrylic resin can also be used with a metal substructure but has some of the same drawbacks as the traditional dentures.

While dentures have many benefits, there is nothing quite like your natural teeth.  Our Dentists at Chandler Dental will carefully review all options and come up with solutions that are custom to your needs, goals, and budget.  Come see us today for a consultation so we can put together a thorough, personalized treatment plan for you.