A smile can mean a lot of things. When you smile to a person, it usually means recognition. You can also smile to a stranger if you want to become his/her friend. Or, you can also smile as a sign of happiness. However, can you smile properly when you have missing teeth? Missing teeth will not only affect someone else’s smile, but they can also affect the way the person speaks. Worst is, they can make the person less confident. Having missing teeth should no longer be a problem though because of the existence of dentures.
What are dentures?
These are custom made teeth that are used to replace the missing tooth/teeth of a person. They are used so that the person can speak, smile and eat comfortably.
What are its types?
Dentures come in two types, the complete and the partial.
- Complete Dentures – these are made from a colored plastic base which is intended to replicate the gum tissue and to support a complete set of porcelain or plastic teeth. Traditionally, this type is made along with a seal so that it can be held in the mouth. As of now though, they can already be used along with dental implants. These implants are surgically placed in the jaws’ bone and they are more expensive than using seals.
- Partial Dentures – these can be made from metal or plastic framework. In order to support it, rests and clasps are carefully adapted around the surrounding teeth. The traditional type is the one that uses the metal framework. Those that use plastic framework are normally used as temporary replacements.
What are the alternatives to dentures?
It is sometimes uncomfortable to use dentures. Therefore, if you don’t want to use such, then you can use the following alternatives.
- Bridges – these can be made from porcelain, gold, zirconium or porcelain fused to gold. They are used to replace 2-3 missing teeth that are close to each other. These replace the missing teeth with the help of crowns. The crowns are placed on the teeth which are located just after the missing teeth and then a fake tooth will be attached on the crowns. The bridges are called as permanent or fixed denture because they are cemented in place.
- Implants – these are metal posts which are inserted into the lower/upper jaw bones. The post is then attached to a crown and it will then be used to replace the missing tooth. If there are several teeth missing, a bridge will be used to attach multiple implants. Implants are considered as the most expensive tooth replacement option, however they are better than the other options.
You don’t have to lose confidence just because of your missing teeth. With dentures, you can regain back your confidence and you can wear your sweet smile just like before. You simply need to go to your preferred dentist and then ask him/her to make the necessary denture for you. If you are in San Diego, you can consider visiting Dr. Lynne A. March. She is offering different services aside from dentures so she can surely help with your dental problems.