Edentulism is a technical word for being toothless. No one wants to lose any teeth, much less all their teeth. Even so, we have ways of replacing lost teeth in modern dentistry.

Dentures are a common teeth replacement, but did you know that there are multiple kinds of dentures? That is the focus of today’s post.

You also can learn more about dentures by making an appointment with either of the dentists at our office in Winnipeg. If you would like to contact Lakewood Dental Centre, please call 204-977-8515 or fill out our online appointment form.

➤ Conventional Full Dentures

These dentures are made to fit on the outside of the gums. Full dentures are made to replace a complete arch of teeth.

Patients who have had teeth removed will not get their conventional dentures until their mouths have healed from an extraction procedure. You may use a denture adhesive with conventional dentures to help keep them more secure temporarily.

➤ Immediate Full Dentures

These are similar to conventional dentures. The difference is that immediate dentures are intended to be placed in your mouth on the same day teeth are removed.

Immediate full dentures are created before the extraction procedure. As a result, you can leave the dentist office that same day with a complete set of replacement teeth.

➤ Partial Dentures

As the name suggests, these dentures are meant to replace some teeth in an arch. These may be designed to connect to remaining healthy teeth. Partial dentures may be recommended as an alternative to dental bridges in some cases.

➤ Implant Supported Dentures

To better explain this kind of dentures, we need to start with the foundation. That is to say, we need to discuss dental implants.

Modern dental implants were developing by Dr. Per-Ingvar Brånemark, a Swedish physician. Dr. Brånemark learned that titanium would bond to bone based on a somewhat accidental discovery while he was researching blood circulation in rabbits.

He used the knowledge to develop modern dental implants, which were placed into a human patient’s mouth for the first time in the mid-1960s. Implants replace the roots of extracted, lost, or missing teeth.

A series of dental implants can be used to support a set of dentures. Thus, the name “implant supported dentures.” These also may be called overdentures, since these dentures go over your dental implants. (In some cases, overdentures may be placed over natural teeth as well.

Comparing The Kinds Of Dentures

For the sake of simplicity, we will focus on conventional dentures and dental implant supported dentures. While immediate full dentures can be placed sooner, they do function similar to conventional dentures.

As we mentioned earlier, you may use an adhesive with conventional dentures to help hold them in place. Since these dentures rest on the outside of your gums, they can sometimes come loose or slip out of position.

While you can still eat many things with conventional dentures, you may find that some foods are more difficult — and maybe even too difficult — to bite or chew.

Dental implants are placed directly into your jawbone. This allows that to provide more stability and security for your overdentures.

The stability afforded by having dental implants can have other benefits as well. The connection to your jawbone can improve the force behind your bite. Many patients find that eating is easier with implant-supported dentures.

Dentures And Your Jaw

One of the drawbacks of conventional dentures is you don’t have that replacement for the roots of your teeth. This matters because it can affect the health of your jawbone.

When you have teeth, your roots press into your jawbone. That pressure encourages your jaw to created new bone tissue. The new tissue can replace older tissue, which is reabsorbed by the bone. This process helps the jaw stay healthy and strong.

Without roots or dental implants, your jawbone may not receive the pressure that signals the need to create new bone tissue. As a result, your jawbone may not make enough new tissue to replace the older tissue that is be reabsorbed. Over time, you can lose mass in your jaw. That can affect the shape of your mouth, which can affect the fit of your conventional dentures.

With implant supported dentures, you have a way to stimulate your jaw, so it will continue to make new tissue. This may prevent the deterioration of your jaw over time.

Do You Have Questions About Dentures?

Our dentists in Winnipeg can discuss the different types of dentures and help you determine which kind is or will be right for you.

To request a consultation at Lakewood Dental Centre, call 204-977-8515 or fill out our online contact form.