subject: Dental Preparation And Placement [print this page] Introduction Introduction
Dental dentures are a replacement for lost teeth when no teeth are remaining in the lower and/or upper jaw. The dentures are held in place by adjacent hard and soft tissues. They are made of tissue shaded polymethylmethacrylate acrylic powder and acrylic teeth available in many shapes and colors. On the first visit to assess the need for dentures, the dentist will examine the gums and bone structure to assess if any treatments are required before they are fitted. Oral surgery may be necessary to remove bony ridges which would interfere with the denture stability. Any remaining teeth must be extracted before dentures are placed.
Initial Procedure
The dentist begins the procedure by making a mould impression of the gums. This helps to identify every crevice and ridge and ensures the best denture design that fits well. If some teeth have been extracted to facilitate fitting of the denture, a temporary one must be placed immediately to enable healing of the wounds left by extraction. The temporary denture is called immediate denture. The immediate denture also serves as esthetic substitute for natural teeth. Immediate dentures are easy to adjust to fit changing ridge contours occasioned by changes during healing. They are left in place until final dentures are ready for fitting. The dentist uses a mold and shade chart to choose immediate dentures with replacement teeth that most closely match the original natural teeth. This helps minimize appearance changes.
Final Dentures
The final dentures are usually referred to as complete dentures. They are fitted after the gums are completely healed. Sufficient time should be allowed for healing of the gums. Complete dentures are used to replace all teeth from the lower or upper jaws. Gums naturally shrink following tooth loss. The process of shrinking usually lasts between six and 12 months. The immediate dentures should be used during the entire period of shrinkage because they can be adjusted to fit the changes occasioned by the shrinkage of the gums and underlying bone structure. The adjustment of the immediate denture may involve hard and soft relining procedures.
Overdenture and Partial Denture
An overdenture refers to a removable dental prosthesis that rests on and covers one or more existing tooth roots. A dental prosthesis used to replace some teeth is known as detachable partial denture. It is built around existing natural teeth. Both the removable partial denture and overdenture may be anchored on the remaining natural teeth or tooth roots using anchors made of plastic or metal. The connections improve stability and ensure longer retention of the prostheses.
Removable partial dentures, overdentures and complete dentures should be removed while sleeping at night. This allows saliva to cover the gums. Saliva contains important properties that control the natural flora which inhabit the oral cavity. Saliva helps to clean the mouth and keep it healthy.
