Dentures

Dentures
A denture is a detachable replacement construction of one or more teeth. A denture that replaces all teeth in the upper or lower part of the mouth is called a full denture. A denture which only replaces some teeth is called a partial denture. In general dentures are not fastned as well as your own teeth or artificial teeth which are fasted down to surrounding teeth or implants. Therefore, there will be an adaptation period the first time you get a denture. Having a foreign object in the mouth will be a strange feeling. If theture isn't fasting down well enough, a snap fastner system may be an option. Then the denture will be fastened with snap fasteners in implants.

Full denture
If all teeth in a jaw are missing, the teeth can be replaced by a detachable acrylic denture, a full denture. The denture is based on the gums and makes the effect of a suction disc. Under normal circumstances this will prevent the denture from falling out. Therefore, the denture can be used for both speaking, smiling, and eating. A full denture in the lower part of the mouth will be based only on the toothcomb. A full denture in the upper part of the mouth covers the gum and a big part of the palate. In the upper part of the mouth, the denture has a larger area to lent with the effect of a suction disc and therefore it is better fastned than dentures in the lower part of the mouth. Therefore, it is more and more common to combine a denture in the lower part of the mouth with two implants. Snap fasteners are placed on the implants, so they fit in the denture of the lower part of the mouth. This will fasten the denture better.

No time without teeth
Typically, a full denture will involve removal of the reaming teeth in the mouth. For many people this causes nervousness for the transition from own teeth to denture. Especially if it involves a period without any teeth in the mouth. Normally, on the day of removal of the last teeth a denture will be ready. The gum will change significantly during the period after removal of the last teeth. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the denture to the gum to make sure that it will be fasted after the gum has changed its shape. The adjustment will be done occasionally. This is due to the fact that the gum will change a bit over time. How often the adjustment is necessary is individual. Sometimes the adjustments are made once a year while others can wait up to five years to get their denture adjusted.

Partial denture
A partial denture is for patients who miss some, but not all teeth in either the upper or the lower part of the mouth. Partial dentures are either made of pure acrylic or cast with a steel frame as base. Dentures with a steel frame are called unitors. Whether the denture is a unitor or made of acrylic, it will be based on the gums. Additionally, it is fastned by small braces placed on the surrounding teeth. The braces ensures that the denture is clicked into position and therefore a partial denture is fastned a lot better than a full denture without implants. In nice cases a solution with snap fasteners on implants may be advantageous.
The steel frame and the braces of a unitor are made individually for each patient. Therefore, the denture and the braces will fit the patient perfectly. It's a great advantage that the unitor takes up very little space in the palate compared to an acrylic denture. Moreover, the unitor is better fasted down. Therefore, the unitor will be easier to get used to.

Acrylic denture
Typically, acrylic dentures are used in situations where the rest of the teeth are considered too weak to bear a unitor. But still, the teeth are too good for removal. Acrylic dentures can easily be extended over time if more teeth are lost. The acrylic denture is a good solution if the final target is a full denture, but you want to delay the process. The acrylic denture is made only by acrylic and therefore it takes up more space than a unitor. This means that the adaption period will be longer.