Adaptive Equipment for Dentures

Dentures--oral adaptive equipment used to replace damaged or lost teeth--have two main categories: partial dentures and complete dentures, both of which are removable. Another example, non-removable dental bridges, attach semi-permanently to the nearby teeth that hold firmly in place. Partials come into use when missing more than just a couple of teeth, or when the nearby teeth cannot hold a bridge in place. Full or complete dentures replace all the teeth in your mouth, top or bottom alone or both.

Complete Dentures

• The four kinds of full or complete dentures include standard, immediate, implant and Cu-Sil dentures. Standard dentures employ suction for the top denture, and are used for people already missing all of their teeth. When a patient needs to have their teeth removed and then immediately replaced with a denture, they are fitted with immediate or temporary dentures. The fitting for the dentures takes place before the extraction of the teeth. If the patient has a few remaining teeth, the dentist will fit them with a Cu-Sil denture, which allows the teeth to fit through holes in the denture. This helps with suction problems, and enables the wearer to retain healthy teeth. Dentists recommend implants as a final option if the wearer cannot tolerate lower dentures. In this process, the dentist fits a titanium screw into a hole drilled into the bone, and then attaches the screw to a post to hold the denture firmly in place.

Soft Liners for Dentures

• The dentist may fit an individual's dentures with a soft liner. These liners are a soft plastic tissue liner fitted underneath the denture that rests between the dentures and the gums. The soft liner cushions the gum tissues and absorbs shock. The dentist should routinely clean this liner. The soft liner aids in cases of chronically sore gums and when the wearer has either severely reduced or flattened gum areas as well, as sharp or bony gum areas. The soft liner's adaptability affords the denture wearer added comfort.

Denture Adhesives

• Adhesives, another kind of adaptive equipment for dentures, have two basic types: paste and powder. Many denture wearers may find paste, a thicker gum-like substance, more difficult to clean than a powder adhesive. Powders on the other hand, have the advantage of being lighter and less messy. Powders also allow the denture to sit closer to the gums, giving it a more natural fit and seal. Determining whether to use pastes or powders depends on the type of denture worn.