Dentures offer an affordable way to replace the missing teeth in your mouth. They stand at the top of the list of options for rebuilding your smile. Dentures are artificial replacement teeth that replace missing ones. For people with missing teeth caused by injury or disease, those voids in their mouth can make chewing, biting, and speaking a task. Moreover, missing teeth makes the facial muscles sag, affecting the outline of a person’s face. Thankfully, dentures help keep the facial muscles from sagging.

Who Can Have Dentures?

Not everyone can have dentures. Several factors are considered before deciding your suitability for dentures. In the case of complete dentures, you should have sufficient bone mass to hold the dentures in position. For partial dentures, the adjoining teeth should be in good shape to support them.

What Are Complete Dentures?

Complete dentures are customized, removable prosthetics that replace full sets of missing teeth. Often, all the remaining teeth in the upper and lower half of the mouth have to be extracted before fitting dentures. Once the teeth have been extracted, a specific interval should allow the gums to heal before the dentures can be fabricated.

A complete denture consists of a metal frame with artificial teeth mounted on a gum-colored acrylic base, and they are designed to rest on the gums. Modern dentures are much more natural-looking than those made a few years ago.

What Are Partial Dentures?

Partial dentures can be an ideal option for dental patients who still have several teeth left that are strong and in good shape. They consist of a metal framework that supports the replacement teeth and is locked into place using the remaining natural teeth. They have to be removed before going to bed and kept soaked in a denture cleaning solution overnight.

Treatment Procedure

The custom dentures take several weeks and multiple appointments to fabricate. Once we conclude that dentures are the best tooth-replacement option for you, we will proceed with the next step.

We will capture impressions of your mouth and send them to the lab. We will make sure your new denture fits appropriately and your bite feels right over a few appointments. Once everything seems in place, we will call you back for a final fitting and go over your denture care instructions.

If you are interested in learning more about denture treatments, visit our office, Shepherd Dental, at 235 E Hildebrand Ave #100, San Antonio, TX 78212, or call at (210) 820-0400 to schedule an appointment.