An artificial denture helps in replacing missing teeth and surrounding gums that can be removed and reused as and when needed. People who lose their teeth due to poor dental care and improper eating habits prefer artificial dentures. These dentures restore the ability to chew and eat properly and also improve the overall appearance of the smile. If you are planning to consider dentures, you must first understand various types of artificial dentures available. Here are some of the most common and widely used artificial dentures.

Complete Dentures

Complete or full dentures are ideal for individuals who have lost all their natural teeth in one or both the jaws. These dentures generally have pink- or gum-colored acrylic base allowing the entire set of false teeth to sit firmly. These false teeth can be made of plastic or porcelain. For the lower jaw, the denture is horse-shoe shaped so that it does not cover the tongue. The base of the denture for upper jaw covers the gums and the roof of the mouth for a better fit and support. There are two common types of complete artificial dentures:

• Conventional Dentures

Conventional dentures can be fixed in the mouth after about eight to 12 weeks after the teeth have been removed. During this period after the teeth extraction, the gums and tissues begin to heal and the artificial teeth can easily fit in the mouth without any irritation.

• Immediate Dentures

Immediate dentures are ready-made and can be fixed in the mouth as soon as the teeth are extracted. This way, the patient can achieve a complete smile, eat normally sooner, and he/she won’t have to be without teeth during the healing period. The major drawback of these dentures is that they have to be replaced too often, say every 4-5 months, as the bones and gums shrink during the healing period and affect the fit of the dentures.

Partial Dentures

Partial dentures are ideal for individuals who have a few missing teeth and don’t want to undergo surgeries and procedures like dental implants and bridges. Partial dentures fill the spaces and gaps of the missing teeth and also prevent surrounding teeth from changing position. The dentures are either made of a plastic base or a metal framework attached to the artificial plastic teeth. These dentures have clasps that are connected to the surrounded teeth for support and they help in keeping the artificial teeth in place. Partial dentures can also be attached to crowns on the natural teeth, exactly like the dental bridges.

Now that you know which types can suit your purpose and fit comfortably in your mouth, you can proceed to fit your dentures. Book your appointment with our Downtown dentists in Edmonton today and get your artificial denture fitted at the earliest. If you have any question regarding the types of artificial dentures or want to know more about the maintenance and other related things, you can talk to us at 780-424-7475.