Tag Archives: dentures

Missing Tooth: What are my options for tooth replacement?

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As you probably realize, your teeth play a vital role in your daily life both in a practical and aesthetic sense. While a person’s natural teeth are certainly strong and durable, in time teeth will age and may slowly begin to deteriorate if they’re not cared for properly. 

While this may seem far-fetched, falling into poor dental hygiene habits can be very easy to do and a very difficult habit to break; unfortunately, when this happens, it’s a slippery slope from there. Although the prospect of losing one tooth might not seem like that big of a deal remember, if one tooth is lost then others are likely to follow, as well as a barrage of additional oral health problems, such as Periodontal disease. Read why oral hygiene is such a big deal HERE.

Don’t forget that your lack of oral hygiene can also lead to other disease in your body. Check out one of our previous blogs about The Consequences of Poor Oral Health.

Therefore, if you have one missing tooth or several, we strongly recommend that you seek treatment and consider tooth replacement options before things get any worse!

Three Options for Tooth Replacement to Consider

There are three primary options for replacing missing or damaged teeth. While each option can certainly provide a great solution in the correct circumstances, your dentist will certainly have the expertise to determine which of these options is best for you. Keep in mind, while all three of these options are considered separate procedures, it is not uncommon for two or more these procedures to be utilized and combined, depending on a patient’s specific needs.  

Options for Tooth Replacement: Full Denture

It’s certainly no secret that dentures are stereo typically associated with the elderly, but are one of the first options for tooth replacement that come to mind. While the word “denture” doesn’t necessarily elicit the most positive reaction, trust us when we say that dentures are not exactly what they are perceived to be.  Unlike the cumbersome, ill-fitting dentures of yesteryear, the modern full or complete denture is generally comprised of acrylic material and is customized to be fitted firmly and seamlessly to your upper and or lower jaws. As one could expect, the full denture is designed for individuals who have lost the majority of their natural teeth, thereby requiring extensive replacements.

Options for Tooth Replacement: Removable Partial Denture

Contrasting with the afore mentioned full set of dentures, a removable partial denture (RPD) or half denture is a plate-like device that is designed to replace a single missing tooth or multiple missing teeth. Economically friendly and easy to maintain, the RPD is fitted to attach to your natural tooth or dental implant (see below) and can be easily adjusted to maximize its effectiveness. While the RPD remains the most widespread partial denture used, a fixed partial denture or fixed bridge may also be employed if the patient desires. Similar to the fixed bridge, the fixed partial denture cannot be removed, thus better resembling the look and feel of natural teeth making it one of the go-to options for tooth replacement.

Related Article: Dentures and Partials: A Tooth Replacement Option to Consider

Options for Tooth Replacement: Dental Implants

As perhaps the most popular and sought-after of all options for tooth replacement on this list, modern dental implants have recently caught fire among the general public and continue to receive critical acclaim among the dental community. Acting as an artificial tooth root, a dental implant is fitted within your jawbone, thus creating a base for the crown to be held in place. These screw-like devices are attached to the crown via a connector and can be designed to support the crown, ultimately resulting in a sturdy replacement that looks and functions like a natural tooth! In addition to replacing a single tooth, dental implants can work in conjunction with the fixed partial dentures mentioned previously, if there isn’t a natural tooth present to support the device.

Related Article: Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants?

Options for Tooth Replacement: Don’t Delay!

Although it might not seem like THAT big of a deal, missing teeth and related oral health problems are not something to sleep on! Much like falling dominoes, if you lose one tooth others are much more likely to follow, so please consider these tooth replacement options, and come see Dr. Kimes and his team at Overland Park Dentistry before its too late!

Local dentist, Dr. Charles R. Kimes, DDS, and his team at Overland Park Dentistry look forward to having the opportunity to care for you and your family with preventative, restorative or cosmetic dentistry. To schedule your dental appointment with your Overland Park Dentist, contact us at our south Overland Park office at (913) 647-8700 or our north Overland Park office at (913) 341-2380.

Dentures and Partials: A tooth replacement option to consider

Restorative Dentistry, ,

dentures-and-partials

A Nightmare Come True!

Have you ever had a dream in which your teeth inexplicably began falling out? While this may sound like an odd question to some, according to numerous oneirological case studies (the scientific study of dreams) a dream in which a person begins losing their teeth is actually one of the most common dreams (or nightmares) a person can experience. While this research may lead many psychologists and data analysts to draw their own conclusions, clearly there’s no denying that out teeth are very important to us and losing them would essentially be a nightmare come true!

While you may be counting your lucky stars that this hasn’t happened to you, this scenario has been all too real for many people in the past, and while seemingly farfetched, it might just be a greater possibility than you think.

 

Tooth replacements ARE necessary! 

So why do teeth break? And just why exactly are tooth replacements so darn necessary?  If this is what you find yourself wondering, please allow us to explain!

While your teeth may be tough and beautiful, those gorgeous pearly whites of yours have a very important and very difficult purpose. Tasked with the demanding job of breaking down food partials for safe and easy consumption, your teeth unquestionably take one heck of a beating! Although receiving the required amount of dental care and practicing proper oral hygiene play a major role in sustaining the lifespan of your teeth, sometimes the wear and tear is just too much. Therefore, once weakened after years of absorbing punishment, your teeth become increasingly susceptible to incurring damage, from hard or crunchy food products. If a tooth suffers severe damage or is ultimately lost, then having that tooth replaced is necessary if one wishes to maintain their future oral health and prevent further damage from occurring.

 

Dentures and Partials: What to know

When words like dentures and partials are mentioned, it often doesn’t elicit the most positive reaction. While it’s certainly no secret that dentures and partials are typically associated with the elderly, and may not conjure up the most pleasant images, it should be noted that they are also not exactly what they are perceived to be. The preconceived notion that dentures and partials are removable sets of false teeth for elderly people who simply don’t have any teeth left is not entirely true. As there are in fact several different variations of these devices, that are used by all sorts of people for numerous reasons.

Partial Denture:

Contrasting to the stereotypical idea of dentures, the partial denture is a plate of prostatic dentures that is custom made for you, to be suited to your replacement needs. This plate-like device can be used to replace one or several teeth and may be used to provide prosthetic teeth that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.  Economically friendly and easy to maintain, the partial is fitted to attach to your natural tooth or dental implant and can be easily adjusted to maximize its effectiveness.

Additionally, the device may also vary depending on the needs of the patient and may come in the form of an RPD or Fixed Bridge.

  • The RPD (removable partial denture) is designed to be removed if necessary and can easily be snapped back into place when desired.
  • A fixed partial denture or fixed bridge; however, cannot be removed once put in place and may better resemble natural teeth due to their sedentary nature.

Related Article: Missing: 3 Options for Tooth Replacement

 

Full Denture:

Unlike the before mentioned partial, a full or complete denture does somewhat resemble the stereotypical dentures of the past; however, thanks to innovative 21st century technology, the sleek new dentures of today are by far superior to their clunky and cumbersome predecessors.  A composite of plastic and acrylic based material, the modern full set of dentures is molded to fit seamlessly to the roof of your mouth or lower jaw (or both) for a smooth and comfortable fit. As its name implies, the full denture is designed for individuals who no longer have their natural teeth and require extensive replacements.

Have no fear!

Although we may often take them for granted, and occasionally forget to treat them with the care they deserve, there’s no denying that our teeth are very important to us and losing them might seem like a nightmarish scenario.  However, if you do ever find yourself in such a situation, please remember that it is necessary to get any missing teeth replaced, and you do have great replacement solutions, like dentures and partials, that can be made available to you upon your request.

Remember if one tooth is lost, then others are likely to follow! Don’t let this happen, come see us at Overland Park Dentistry so that we may help put an end to your nightmare once and for all!

 

Dr. Charles R. Kimes, DDS and his expert team at Overland Park Dentistry look forward to having the opportunity to care for you and your family with any preventative, restorative or cosmetic dental needs you or your family may have. To schedule your dental appointment with your Overland Park Dentist, contact us at our south Overland Park office at (913) 647-8700 or our north Overland Park office at (913) 341-2380.