Dr Michael Smith D.M.D.

In What Ways Do Partial Dentures Save you A Lot of Money?

Dentists often see many people with missing or cracked teeth. It may seem like no big deal at first, but even a single tooth can end up costing you thousands of dollars in the long run! When you’re missing one or more teeth, the rest of your teeth need to pick up the slack. This means that you’ll probably favor one side of your mouth and cause your remaining teeth to wear down faster than they normally would. 

 

Partial dentures are made of a resin base into which artificial teeth are inserted and are custom made by the lab from models of your mouth. A temporary partial, called a flipper, is usually indicated for tooth replacement immediately after extraction so you are never without a tooth. It’s primarily for esthetic purposes and usually does not function well. A flipper is supported entirely by your gums and you should be aware of possible irritation to or thinning of your soft tissues. Flippers are best used for the short term during healing of the extraction site before a more permanent tooth replacement solution is completed.

 

Conventional removable partial dentures replace one or more missing teeth and may have clasps that wrap around healthy `abutment` teeth to keep them secure. Clasps may be made of resin material that is designed to be less visible, or metal, sometimes as part of a metal framework throughout the entire partial. The fit of the partial is very important to evenly distribute your biting forces, prevent trauma to your gums and natural teeth, and look and function as normally as possible.

 

Partial Dentures Benefits

 

Partial dentures rely on the existing strength of your remaining teeth. They latch onto your natural teeth in order to fill any gaps — providing much-needed support and preventing your natural teeth from shifting further. When you lose a tooth, your jawbone slowly starts to degrade wherever the tooth or teeth once stood. Gaps can lead to significant changes in the structure of your mouth and jaw. 

 

These changes often cause your jaw to shrink and weaken. You may struggle eating foods you once enjoyed or experience sensitivity to normal pressures. 

 

As we mentioned above, when missing one or more teeth, your remaining teeth need to pick up the extra workload. This can significantly shorten the life of your natural teeth — leading to more cavities, chips, or discomfort over time. 

 

Partial dentures mitigate these issues by providing the support your jaw and teeth need. Your teeth will shift less often and the pressures of eating and speaking will be distributed more evenly. Both of these factors are shown to increase the longevity of your natural teeth — meaning you can avoid expensive surgeries or procedures down the road. 

 

Another major benefit of partial dentures is that they can restore your sense of self-confidence. Our smile is one of our greatest assets — many of our partial denture patients claim they smile, laugh, and speak less often as a result of missing teeth.

 

Partial dentures fill in gaps in your smile (most people won’t even know you’re wearing dentures) so you can get back to being your confident self. By investing in partial dentures before losing more teeth than you need to, you can save thousands of dollars and years’ worth of self-confidence. 

 

The loss of teeth can have a significant effect on your oral health. If you’ve lost most or all the natural gaps in your smile, it may be time for dentures to help maintain an attractive appearance while also boosting self-confidence!  Some people find that they are less likely to receive adequate dental care when wearing them because their mouth no longer matches up properly with what we see outside our mouths—so don’t let this become another problem by quickly getting partial replacements instead; get everything back under control today through fixed prosthodontic treatment options like bridges and crowns at Tempe Family Dentistry, the output should sound more professional than enthusiastic!