One of the most important steps when it comes to maintaining a healthy smile is to replace a missing tooth. In case of a missing tooth, those remaining others may change in position or drift into the surrounding space. As a result, the remaining teeth that are out of their proper position could damage the mouth tissues. This makes it difficult for a person to clean the teeth thoroughly, especially in between crooked teeth. But, what’s a bigger problem is that, the person gets the risk of periodontal diseases and suffers the risk of tooth decay. Partial dentures help fill in the space that is created by missing teeth and fills out the smile. At the same time, it helps a person chew food properly, something that is often a difficult task when having missing teeth.
Partial dentures consist of a metal framework with plastic teeth and gum area. This framework includes some attachments like metal clasps or precision attachments that will hold the dentures in place. Partial dentures also come in various types such as the following.
Conventional Partial Dentures
These consist of metal clasps that are C-shaped, Y-shaped 9parts, and I-shaped. These easily fit around the neighboring and natural teeth. They may require shaping in order to help hold the clasps, at the same time, to keep the dentures secured in place.
Precision Attachment Partial Dentures
This one is similar to a key that fits into a keyhole. A crown placed over the tooth has the “keyhole”. And in this case, these dentures have this so-called key. When putting the dentures in place, this key fits perfectly into the keyhole of the crown. This type is a lot better looking as no clasps are visible and they fit tighter. In addition, it these do not require more skill to be placed in the mouth as the key simply needs to fit exactly into the keyhole.
Valplast Partial Dentures
This one has a biocompatible, flexible, thermoplastic nylon with some unique physical and esthetic properties. This is translucent that allows patients’ natural tissue color to appear through this material. It also has the advantage of not showing metal, and simply appears to be natural-looking. Moreover, Valplast could also be used with metal in order to increase esthetics and strength.
Considering the needs of the patient, the dentist would design partial dentures. Basically, dentures are replacements for missing teeth and they can be taken out and put back into the mouth. While dentures are something that one could get used to, some people feel uncomfortable wearing them. However, with all the advances in modern technology, it’s now possible to create dentures that look and feel just like natural teeth. They are also more comfortable than ever, thus patients feel more confident wearing them.
Before making the decision to have dentures, visit your dentist and discuss the possible options or types of dentures that you may have in accordance to your needs, just like fixed partial dentures. This is important to achieve the best results to maintain oral health.