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Dentures & Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is a disease of the gums that causes inflammation and infection of the tissue that supports your teeth. There are various types and stages of gum disease. Gingivitis is one of the first stages. More severe forms of periodontal disease include chronic, aggressive and necrotizing periodontitis. Advanced gum disease destroys the tissue that supports your teeth, including the gums, periodontal ligaments, and tooth sockets. This can trigger the loss of teeth. Dentures are one of the options available to those who have lost teeth due to periodontal disease.

  1. Causes of Periodontal Disease

    • Health conditions, poor hygiene and certain medications can affect gum health negatively and make you susceptible to periodontal disease. Pregnancy can also cause gum problems. This is due to fluctuation of hormone levels. If periodontal disease is not treated in the early stages, the condition progresses and teeth will loosen and eventually fall out. Thankfully, dentures are an option to replace those missing teeth.

    Definition of Dentures

    • Dentures are a prosthetic device used to replace missing teeth caused by periodontal disease. Replacing missing teeth is important to health because teeth are one of the most essential instruments of digestion. Missing teeth will also cause difficulties in speech and make your face look different. Dentures will provide your facial muscles with support to prevent sagging.

    Types of Dentures

    • There are two types of dentures; complete and partial. Your dentist will recommend a denture suited to your needs. Complete dentures will be recommended if you are missing all of your teeth. Complete dentures will also be recommended if your teeth are in poor health and have to be removed. Partial dentures will be used if you still have healthy natural teeth.

    Complete Dentures

    • If your doctor recommends complete dentures, you can choose to get conventional or immediate dentures. The modeling process for conventional dentures starts after healing has taken place. You may have to wait between 8 and 12 weeks before the final cast is ready. Immediate dentures have the benefit of being made in advance and are placed as soon as the healing period is over. An important thing to consider is that your gums may shrink during the healing process. Therefore, immediate dentures often have to be re-adjusted to fit comfortably in the mouth.

    Partial Dentures

    • Partial dentures are also known as bridges. They can be permanent or non-permanent. Permanent partial dentures will be attached to crowns. A removable bridge is usually attached to a plastic base that mimics your gums. A metal frame is connected to it in order to hold the denture in its place.

    Adjustment Period and Hygiene

    • In the case of removable dentures, there is an initial adjustment period. During this time, your doctor may ask you to wear your dentures 24 hours a day to see if any changes are needed. Once this adjustment period is over, removable dentures should be taken out to allow the gums to rest. This also facilitates the cleansing actions performed by the tongue and saliva. Complete dentures and non-permanent partial dentures should be removed and cleaned periodically.

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