Removable prostheses, sometimes called: dentures, partials, flippers, are dental appliances that are worn in the mouth to replace any missing teeth.
There are two main categories of dentures:
- Complete dentures
- Partial dentures
Complete dentures are used to “completely restore” all of the missing teeth. These dentures are for those for have no teeth at all. For example, a person may have lost all their upper teeth, so they would receive a complete set of upper dentures.
Compared to complete dentures, partial dentures are suitable for individuals who are missing only some of their teeth. They still have some of their natural teeth remaining, but they need to replace the ones that are missing. Partial dentures will clip onto your natural teeth, filling in any gaps left by missing teeth.
There are two subcategories of complete and partial dentures:
- Immediate/interim dentures
- Conventional/permanent dentures
Immediate (interim) dentures are for patients who plan to extract their damaged teeth and retain the healthy ones during their healing period (between 4-8 weeks). We obviously do not want to send a patient home without any teeth, so a temporary set is made and ready for the patient before the oral surgery appointment. Once the patient has their teeth extracted, they will be sent home with immediate dentures, so that the patient can eat, and heal faster.
After 4-8 weeks of healing, the patient will be ready for a conventional or permanent set of dentures. A frequently asked question is, “why can’t I continue to use my immediate dentures?” As time passes and the areas around the extraction sites heal, changes will occur in the bone and gum tissue structure where the teeth used to be. There will be shrinkage and changes in the shape of the mouth, usually causing the denture to become loose and ill-fitting.
At this time, after the patient has healed, they will return back to Dr. Ha’s office at Newport Beach Dental Studio, where they will be fitted with a permanent set of dentures. Permanent dentures differ in that the build quality and materials used are far superior to immediate dentures. Permanent dentures will also fit better than immediate dentures because they are measured and adjusted to the patient’s liking.
Conventional or permanent dentures can also be indicated for patients who have been missing teeth for a long time and do not require immediate dentures. They will not be extracting any teeth, but instead want to replace what’s missing.
When a patient is ready to get dentures, Dr. Ha of Newport Beach Dental Studio will discuss all the options with his patients and share his advice on which he thinks would be the best option for them. There is no “one size fits all” denture, as everyone is unique and has different requirements and preferences. However, Dr. Ha will utilize his knowledge, experience, and skills to provide a customized set of dentures tailored to each individual’s needs.