WHAT ARE PARTIAL DENTURES?
Make your smile great again with partial dentures. Partials fill gaps in your smile permanently, temporarily, and during a dental transition. They are more natural than ever, and care for them is rather easy and straightforward. Learn more about this dental technique that will better your grin.
Permanent Partial Dentures
Some patients may have partial dentures their entire life. It is not abnormal, and it is not the end of the world. If you have only lost three teeth on one side of your mouth, then a dental partial is for you. Often consumers associate partial dentures with unruly metal wiring that shows when you smile. At one time, yes this was the case, but technology has come a long way. There are now more natural options leaving patients at ease where they can smile more naturally.
Two common reasons a patient would also have a permanent dental partial:
- Affordability of removable fake teeth over implants
- Weak bone or jaw structure preventing the patient from receiving dental implants
Using Partial Dentures in Transition
If you recently had your teeth removed, contrary to popular belief you will not be able to just jump into inserting a dental implant right away. Your body needs time to heal. Usually, your dental care provider will advise that you wait six months to a year before inserting an implant.
Depending on the location of the extraction, some people won’t even bother with a dental partial during this time, while other people have one molded and made no matter what. This can be done either way and is also commonly advised so your remaining teeth do no shift in your mouth during the healing process.
Taking Care of Your Partial Dentures
It is very easy to take care of your new dental partials. Follow these instructions:
- Remove your partial
- Brush your natural teeth and follow your natural daily regimen
- Brush your dental partial with your regular toothpaste
- Brush partial with denture paste
- Soak it in cleaning tablets overnight
- Brush with warm water and toothpaste in the morning and reinsert
Dental Implants
Now depending on your insurance plan, dental partials are way more affordable than dental implants. Most dentures are covered by insurance plans, and even if they are not fully covered by insurance plans, insurance takes care of most of the expenses. Dental implants, on the contrary, will not be covered by most insurance plans because they are considered a cosmetic procedure. Implants are the hassle-free, long-term dental solution, and one implant may cost you $1,500. Do your research and consult your healthcare provider about what is right for your budget lifestyle.
A Full Set of Dentures
Remember to take care of both your natural teeth and your new dental partial. If you do not take care of both you will find yourself wearing a full set of dentures. If this does happen, however, dentures look more natural than ever, and care is the same as partials. You will be fine either way!