Dealing with tooth loss is no fun. No matter if you lose a few teeth, all teeth in a single arch, or even all of the teeth in your mouth, it’s a big deal. Replacing your missing teeth is essential, not just for your smile, but for your mouth’s natural daily functions and overall health.
At Advanced Dental Associates, we can replace missing teeth with dentures in San Antonio, TX. Dentures and partials are restorative dental treatments we proudly provide to new and existing patients in San Antonio.
What is the Difference Between Complete and Partial Dentures?
When most people think of dentures, they typically think of an entire arch of fake teeth. This is a complete denture. It is used when you have lost all teeth in your upper or lower jaw.
A base, which supports the artificial teeth, sits on your gums and uses soft tissue. In the upper jaw, the bottom of a complete denture also covers your palate or the roof of your mouth. The base of a complete denture resembles a horseshoe in appearance.
A partial denture, sometimes just called a partial, replaces a section of missing teeth. It is used when the rest of the teeth in the arch are healthy. Like a complete denture, a partial uses a base to support fake teeth supported by your gums. Metal framework, which is attached to the partial, hooks onto your healthy teeth for extra security.
Don’t Dentures Look Fake?
Up until even just a few decades ago, a significant drawback to dentures was that, while they restored the functions of your missing teeth, they were pretty obvious. Today, however, things are different. Dentures are made to look much more realistic. It is much harder for others to tell that you are wearing artificial teeth than it once was.
Dentures in San Antonio, TX
Creating a denture is a process that can take several weeks. Following the extraction of any unhealthy teeth, impressions are taken. Our lab uses these impressions to create molds of your mouth. Your denture is then completed gradually.
As it is made, you will return for follow-ups to try it on. This ensures that your final denture will fit properly.
The whole process can take up to 12 weeks to complete. The try-on appointments allow us to adjust your denture as your jaw heals and the tissues shrink following your extractions.
Even after your final denture, you may still need a few follow-up appointments for adjustments. The goal is to provide you with a restoration that is as comfortable and natural as possible.
What Do I Do If My Denture Feels Off?
You might notice some discomfort if it is your first time wearing dentures. Over time, this discomfort should lessen and go away. However, you should schedule an appointment if the pain doesn’t go away or worsens.
Even if you have been wearing your denture for a while, you may begin to notice that it doesn’t fit like it used to. This happens because your jawbone continues to change after tooth loss.
The base of your denture does not. As your jaw changes, your denture will no longer fit properly. It is essential to schedule an appointment and make a new denture to ensure your comfort and optimal functionality.
Same-Day Dentures
One of the most common answers to tooth loss is dentures. What were once obviously fake teeth are now much more natural in appearance, providing an excellent solution for replacing your missing teeth.
While dentures have greatly improved in recent years, it can still take several weeks to get your final restoration. At Advanced Dental Associates, we can eliminate that wait with same-day dentures.
Why Do Dentures Take So Long?
The way dentures are typically made, it can take up to 12 weeks to receive your final restoration. But why? Traditional dentures are created gradually.
We take impressions of your mouth following dental extractions, which are used to make molds of your mouth. While dentures are created using these molds, your jawbone and gums change and shrink as you heal from your extractions.
As your dentures are made, you have several appointments where you try on your restoration. This is known as a try-on. This allows us to make the necessary adjustments while creating your final denture so it fits your mouth correctly. Throughout this period, you are wearing temporary dentures.
How are Same-Day Dentures Possible?
With same-day dentures, you get your final dentures at the same appointment as your tooth extractions. This is possible because we take impressions before your actual tooth extraction appointment.
This way, we can make your dentures before you have to have your teeth extracted. There’s no dealing with temporary teeth. Instead, you leave your appointment to remove your teeth and get your final dentures in one day.
While you receive your dentures in one appointment, you will still have several follow-up appointments. Even though you get dentures immediately, your gums and jawbone still change. During your follow-up appointments, we can reline and adjust your dentures to ensure they always fit.
In some situations, an entirely new denture may need to be fabricated. It is also common to experience discomfort, especially in the beginning. Though the denture is lined with a tissue conditioner, extractions can leave your gums swollen and sore. The pressures exerted on your healing tissues can cause some pain.
Am I A Candidate for Same-Day Dentures?
Same-day dentures can be an excellent solution for patients with an entire arch of missing or failing teeth and who want their teeth replaced with dentures. Moreover, many people prefer them because you don’t have to deal with temporary restorations while waiting to fabricate your final denture.
However, they are not necessarily the best solution for everyone. Patients with certain types of jaw anatomy may not be good candidates for this type of denture.
You may also not be a good candidate if you have certain uncontrolled medical conditions. If you want your missing teeth replaced with same-day dentures, we can help you determine if they are a good choice.
Renew Your Smile
If you have suffered tooth loss, dentures are an effective solution for replacing those teeth. For more information about dentures, including same-day dentures or implant-supported denture solutions like All on 4, call Advanced Dental Associates at 210-361-6847 today.