Denture Styles

Since at least 700 B.C., when the ancient Etruscans began to use human or animal teeth to replace rotten teeth, dentures have been a part of human society. For dental patients with serious, long-standing problems, having dentures fitted is often the best option. Once a patient reaches the decision to get dentures, a number of options are available. Depending on your budget, preferences and whether you have any remaining teeth or roots, you can select a denture type that will provide the highest level of comfort, stability and a natural appearance.

Standard Denture

• Standard dentures are the simplest and cheapest procedure for a patient who has already lost all his teeth. This type of denture consists of pink panels above the teeth and on the roof of the mouth, and false teeth. The back of the upper denture ends just behind the end of the hard bone in the roof of the mouth ends, unless the patient suffers from gagging, in which case it is arch-shaped and shorter. The top denture stays in place by suction. For the first 24 hours, the patient may experience discomfort, because the body senses that there is something in the mouth, and assuming that it is food, produces saliva. It usually takes four dental appointments to fit this type of denture.

Immediate Denture

• Immediate, or temporary dentures, are made before the teeth are removed. Patients who have had their teeth removed use these while waiting for permanent dentures. They allow patients to eat solids and to talk without self-consciousness, and also act as plasters to stem bleeding from the gums just after teeth have been removed.

Cu-Sil Denture

• Cu-Sil dentures let patients to keep their remaining teeth by including holes for natural teeth to poke through. Silicone rubber surrounds the holes, which hugs the real tooth. This makes the denture much more stable than a full denture, by giving it vertical support. It is suitable for patients who even just one healthy tooth left.

Overdenture

• Overdentures are removable devices worn above natural teeth. Patients who have had root canal therapy most commonly use overdentures. If the roots are still healthy, the tooth can be cut where the gum begins. An overdenture can then go over the stump. An overdenture is often more stable than a standard denture.

Implant Retained Denture

• Because getting a full set of implant teeth is extremely expensive, some people choose to have only a few implants, and a denture that hugs implants for additional stability. This type of denture uses the implants in a similar way to how the cu-sil uses teeth. A titanium screw is placed into a hole drilled into the bone to approximate the position of teeth. After several months, the patient's bone attaches to the titanium. A rod that pokes through the gum is then attached to the implant. This rod supports an attachment for a denture.

Mini Implant Retained Denture

• Mini implants are just what they sound like, small implants, about the size of a toothpick. They can help stabilize lower dentures. Unlike standard implants, there is not a long waiting period before mini implants can help support a denture. They are quicker, less painful and less expensive than standard implants.

Partial Denture

• Partial dentures help fill a gap of a few teeth in an otherwise healthy mouth. The patient's real teeth and gums hold them in place, which makes them a stable option.