Partial Dentures: Cost, Types, and How to Choose

20 May.,2024

 

Partial Dentures: Cost, Types, and How to Choose

This article provides information about partial dentures, including types, costs, and materials they’re made with. If you’ve experienced a loss of teeth, talk with a dentist to see if partial dentures are right for you.

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Partial dentures can replace several missing teeth but not an entire upper or lower set of teeth. To get partial dentures, you must have some healthy teeth remaining in the upper and lower parts of your mouth.

The same research review above found that an estimated 39 percent of removable partial dentures were no longer in use 5 years after dentists produced them for patients.

The removable nature of partial dentures — as well as concerns over appearance and fit — can sometimes make them a less popular option.

According to a 2017 research review , cleaning partial dentures not only keeps them clean, but it also reduces the risk of developing cavities in nearby healthy teeth because you can brush around them properly.

Partial dentures aren’t usually intended for around-the-clock wear. Most dentists will recommend removing partial dentures at night and cleaning them .

Partial dentures are more than cosmetic devices. They can also enhance chewing and speaking for the wearer. Partial dentures can also preserve the placement of the remaining teeth in your mouth, which may otherwise shift over time.

Partial dentures are usually removable dentures that replace multiple teeth in the upper or lower portion of your mouth.

Whatever the reason, it’s important that your remaining teeth stay healthy. A dentist will construct the partial dentures, considering your remaining teeth. If these teeth are not healthy, a dentist may recommend extracting your teeth and utilizing full dentures instead.

You may benefit from partial dentures if you’ve lost multiple teeth in the top or bottom of your jaw. Some contributing factors to a loss of your teeth include:

Different manufacturing techniques and materials mean that there are a lot of partial denture options out there. The following are some considerations to know about partial denture types.

Location in your mouth

Partial dentures may replace the front (anterior) portion of your teeth or the back (posterior) portion.

In a 2017 study, people who had anterior partial dentures reported the greatest level of satisfaction.

The researchers in the study above thought that the level of satisfaction might’ve been because the dentures made the greatest cosmetic difference for people’s smiles. But replacing the front teeth with partial dentures can also help people bite into foods more easily.

Also, posterior dentures can aid in speaking and eating, which also enhances satisfaction.

Number of teeth on the dentures

Partial dentures aren’t the only option when it comes to replacing missing teeth. You may also choose full dentures, which replace an entire set of missing upper or lower teeth. If you have teeth remaining, your dentist will have to pull your teeth before you get full dentures.

Bridges are another type of replacement for teeth. They’re similar to partial dentures because they replace only a few missing teeth.

However, bridges are usually present on one side of your mouth while partial dentures can replace teeth on both sides of your mouth. Also, bridges tend to be permanently glued in, while partial dentures are often removable.

Typically, a dentist will recommend partial dentures when you have three or more missing teeth that are next to each other.

Durability

A dentist may not always give you permanent partial dentures. Instead, you may have a temporary option. This is usually the case when your dentist has extracted damaged or decaying teeth that your partial dentures will replace.

According to the Oral Health Foundation, your gums need time to heal (usually about 6 months) after an extraction. After this time, your dentist can craft permanent partial dentures.

Materials used

For the base of the dentures, a dentist can use either plastic (resin) or metal, such as a mixture of cobalt and chromium.

Metal

Dentists may make larger partial dentures with titanium. However, titanium caused inflammatory reactions in about 0.6 percent of people in a 2017 research review.

Want more information on Low-Carbon Steel T Posts? Feel free to contact us.

Plastic and polymers

The Oral Health Foundation also emphasizes that bases made with plastic tend to be less expensive than those made from metal. This is because metal bases are lighter and more durable than plastic alternatives.

However, plastic or polymer-based dentures have advantages as well, including:

  • a desirable aesthetic appearance because no metal is visible
  • easiness to make and repair
  • lightweight and flexible

Flexible dentures

Some people also choose another option for partial dentures called “flexible” dentures. These dentures are made from thin, lightweight thermoplastics and without visible metal clips.

However, flexible dentures are usually bulkier than metal alternatives because they can break if they are made too thin, according to a 2014 research review.

Also, you’ll put in flexible dentures differently than the other types. Most metal- and plastic-based dentures are inserted directly into your mouth.

With flexible dentures, you will usually warm the flexible dentures in water for a minute first to help the dentures better mold to your gums.

Attachments in your mouth

Dentists usually fit partial dentures with either clasps or precision attachments.

Clasps are usually made from metal and will circle at least half of your adjoining teeth to partial dentures. Depending on where the clasps are placed, the metal may be visible when you smile.

Precision attachments will attach onto existing teeth or dental implants. Dentists will customize precision attachments to each patient, including crowns to fit over existing teeth.

According to the American Dental Association, the extra work involved in crafting the attachments means they typically cost more than clasp attachments.

Tooth Talk Asks an Expert About How to Choose Children's ...

Parents have a lot to think about when it comes to baby’s health–from whether irritability is due to an illness or teething to when to wean from the bottle. Did you know choosing toothpaste specially made for children is as important as opting for children’s aspirin instead of a full-strength adult pain reliever?

While the internet is full of recommendations that all toothpastes are appropriate for very young children, actually most toothpastes sold in stores have warning labels advising use only by adults and children over the age of 12.  Talk about mixed messages! All toothpaste is not created equal, says Tooth Talk Expert, Dr. Tim Wright of the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

So, how do you choose the right toothpaste for very young children? Dr. Wright has some tips.

*Don’t use adult toothpaste for children under the age of 12.  Adult toothpastes have additional ingredients that aren’t appropriate for children, such as whiteners, brighteners, antimicrobials, peroxide and abrasive material.

*Buy children’s toothpaste for kids. Children’s toothpaste has none of these adult toothpaste additives except for good-for-teeth fluoride.  Plus, the flavors are more child-friendly; most children don’t like the minty taste of grown-up pastes.

*Make sure it’s children’s toothpaste with fluoride: look for the ADA seal on the box or tube. The American Dental Association, Academy of Pediatrics and Academy of Pediatric Dentistry all agree that fluoride toothpaste is a healthy choice for protecting little teeth.

*Parents, not the child, should put the children’s toothpaste on the brush.  Let kids do it–and brush their own teeth–when they are old enough to tie their shoes.

*Ignore TV and internet ads with the large ribbon of toothpaste on the brush.  For kids ages birth to three,  Dr. Wright recommends brushing with a tiny  smear the size of a grain of rice. Switch to a dab the size of small pea for kids age three to six.

*Don’t worry; swallowing a little bit of toothpaste is OK.

Wright advises there are just two things to remember when buying toothpaste for kids. “Make sure you buy children’s toothpaste, and make sure it has fluoride in it,” he said. “Fluoride is a must. It’s an effective preventive measure because it’s easy, cheap, low-risk and prescription-free. And it’s a lot safer than taking a two-year-old to the operating room to repair severe tooth decay.”

To see a list of children’s fluoride toothpaste that gets the American Dental Association seal of approval, click here.

For more Step-in Postinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.