Understanding Dental X-Rays

Your oral health is not only important to your smile, but to your ability to eat, speak, and laugh normally without worry or self-consciousness. Dental solutions abound today to help with this, and if you are missing multiple teeth or experience damage that may lead to such a loss, it may be time to consider how you can benefit from dentures.

Why Choose Dentures?

Dentures are a row of natural-looking prosthetic teeth that are meant to replace those that are missing. The common reasons you may need dentures will be due to loosened, damaged, weak, injured, or missing teeth that can result from any of the following:

• Injury or trauma to the mouth
• Extreme tooth decay forming in several teeth
• Advanced periodontal disease
• Oral diseases
• Genetics

If you’re still not sure whether or not dentures are the right choice for you, consider the several benefits they can offer, including:

• Improvements in speech and eating ability
• Preservation of facial structures
• Easy care and maintenance
• A boost to self-confidence by allowing you to share your smile more often.
• Long-lasting choice, with most dentures lasting 10 years or more with proper care.
• Cost-effective, with different types available to meet patients’ various needs and budgets.

What are the Different Types of Dentures?

Various types of dentures exist today, but the three most common categories are full (traditional), partial, and implant dentures.

1. Full (Traditional) Dentures

If you are missing most or all of your upper and lower teeth, full, traditional dentures are a good choice. Your dentist may also recommend these when the majority of your teeth are weak or decayed or your teeth need extraction for other reasons.

Full, traditional dentures are usually porcelain or acrylic with a pink metal or acyclic base. Placement usually occurs between 8 and 12 months after teeth are extracted or removed.

Once your jaw and gum tissue heal (from extractions or other issues), your dentist will fit you with full dentures which sit directly on the gums. These will stay in place with the help of natural suction or with the use of a dental adhesive. In some instances, you may need both.

One of the truly beneficial things about full dentures is that they are removable for cleaning and before going to sleep at night. Just place them in water or a dental cleanser recommended by your dentist, then rinse before reinserting inside your mouth.

2. Partial Dentures

Partial dentures are convenient and removable and often recommended when a patient maintains at least some of their natural teeth.

These dentures usually contain a pinkish acrylic base that closely matches the color of your gums. Attached to this base are ceramic teeth chosen to blend in with your natural teeth. Metal clasps hold the partial denture in place between your remaining teeth, creating a seamless smile.

An additional advantage to wearing partial dentures is that they help keep the other teeth from shifting or moving out of place.

3. Implant Supported dentures

Implant supported dentures are a high-quality replacement for missing teeth that are long-lasting and natural looking.

To wear this type of denture, you will first need to undergo a surgical procedure to embed screw-like titanium posts in your gums.

Once these dental implant posts are secured below the gum line, they will begin to fuse with the jaw bone, creating a strong, stable foundation. Depending on whether you need a full row or only a partial denture, you may require up to four of these implanted posts to secure the denture in place.

Implant supported dentures are permanent and more stable, so you won’t have to fret about them slipping or moving as you eat, speak, or laugh. They look natural and restore chewing power, so you can continue to enjoy most, if not all, of your favorite foods.

What are the Best Types of Dentures?

When it comes to what are the best types of dentures, the answer depends on each patient’s individual needs and personal preferences. While all three categories listed above are beneficial, the one you choose needs to fit your individual needs and your lifestyle as well.

Factors that need consideration when choosing the best type of denture for you include the following.

Pre-Denture Procedures

Some types of dentures may require removal of additional teeth. You and your dentist will need to discuss this need and whether you want to proceed. Also, if you are considering implant supported dentures, your jawbone will need evaluating. If you do not have enough bone, you may need to undergo more invasive procedures such as bone augmentation or grafting. Decide if this is something you want to pursue or choose to go with the full or partial dentures that do not require the implants.

Comfortability

Comfort is key when it comes to wearing dentures, so you will need to choose the one that meets this requirement for you personally. Consider the materials used to make each type and whether the removable or permanent type will be more comfortable for you.

Care and Maintenance

In general, full and partial removable dentures require additional care and maintenance. In addition to brushing and flossing your natural teeth, you will now need to remove, soak, clean, and rinse your dentures each day. Implant supported dentures, however, are fixed in place, so you will care for them in much the same way as your natural teeth.

Your Budget

The different types of dentures also come with different costs. Discuss these costs with your dentist and determine which one will best fit with your budget.

In many situations, dentures are the right solution for patients, and knowing all you can before and after will be beneficial as you move forward. Schedule a consultation and exam with your dentist to find out what will work best for you.

Schedule an Appointment with Park Street Dental to Learn More About Dentures

Determining what type of dentures are best for you is a big decision. Park Street Dental can help by providing you with all the information you need to make an informed decision. We will also help you through each step in the process and be here for you in the years ahead.

To find out more about what types of dentures are available and which will benefit you the most, contact our office today to schedule an appointment with our patient-dedicated team.

Scheduling biannual dental cleanings is a good way to keep your smile looking its best and also helps to maintain a healthy mouth. While this level of cleaning may be all you need, that can change at some point in your life, especially if you start to experience gum disease. In such instances, many patients will benefit from something more, including a dental deep cleaning.

Your preventive care cleaning is more about maintenance, removing built-up tartar and plaque, and giving your teeth a polish. A dental deep cleaning goes beyond the surface of the teeth. This type of cleaning, also referred to as scaling and planing, centers on the portions of teeth that sit near and beyond the gum line.

Dental deep cleaning is a special, non-invasive technique used to remove bacteria, plaque, and tartar. It can halt the progression of gum disease and prevent tooth loss in patients as well.

Who Will Benefit from a Dental Deep Cleaning?

Dental deep cleaning is not meant for everyone. Patients diagnosed with gum disease, either the initial, milder stage of gingivitis or a more advanced stage of periodontitis, will benefit the most from a deep cleaning procedure.

While it may or may not be obvious that you have gum disease, you can often tell if you experience bad breath, loose teeth, or bleeding, swelling, or tenderness in the gums. A visual clue that you may have gum disease is when you see your gums pulling away from your teeth, exposing more of the tooth in the process.

A patient experiencing gum disease will also have pockets developing between teeth and gums. These pockets, or gaps, can expose more of the tooth root. Your dentist will measure these gaps to determine how advanced your gum disease is currently. After a dental deep cleaning, these gaps will again be measured. You should see a reduction in the gap between your teeth and gums as a result.

What Happens During a Dental Deep Cleaning Procedure?

The dental deep cleaning procedure may be used in one or two affected areas of your mouth or an entire section, such as half of your upper teeth region. Each patient is unique, and your treatment can differ based on how prevalent the gum disease has become.

While you may feel some discomfort, your dentist will give you a local anesthetic to create some numbness. Only one-half of your mouth will be numbed during a visit, so you will most likely need to return for a second appointment to care for the opposite side.

The cleaning involves two methods – scaling and planing.

Scaling

With the aid of a handheld dental device, your dentist will gently scrape the teeth to remove plaque and tartar near the gumline. This method includes both above and below where your teeth join with the gums.

For harder to reach areas, your dentist may use an ultrasonic tool with a vibrating tip. The vibration helps to dislodge any plaque and tartar that may be hiding there. A water spray may also be used to help wash the tartar away.

The scaling procedure can take anywhere between one and four hours, depending on the severity of the infection of the gums.

Planing

To smooth out any rough areas on the roots of teeth, your dentist will use a rubbing motion. This smoothing-out method will make it more difficult for plaque, tartar, or bacteria to stick to these areas going forward.

Your dentist may also apply an antibiotic gel during the deep cleaning to get to the harder to reach germs that linger or might prescribe an antibiotic mouth rinse.

For a few days after the procedure, you’ll need to be careful brushing as your gums will feel tender and may bleed. You will also want to avoid hot or cold beverages for a few days. Tooth sensitivity can remain for 1-2 weeks, which is entirely normal, but if you become concerned, contact your dentist right away.

Follow all the directions provided by your dentist and return at the recommended time so your dentist can check how your mouth is healing. During this follow-up appointment, your dentist will once again measure the pockets, or gaps, between teeth and gums to see if a reduction is occurring.

Contact Park Street Dental to Find out More about Dental Deep Cleaning and Gum Disease

When it comes to efficiently caring for your teeth and gums, knowing how a dental deep cleaning can help is beneficial. Whether you want to learn more about gum disease or believe you are already experiencing it, the compassionate team here at Park Street Dental can help. We will evaluate your oral health and, if needed, make personalized recommendations for cleanings or other beneficial treatments. Call our dental office today to schedule a consultation.

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