Dentures
What removable denture options does Eric Heim Dental offer?
At Eric Heim Dental, we offer complete dentures, metal partial dentures, acrylic partial dentures, adding a tooth to a partial denture, and overdentures
A complete denture is needed when you have lost all of the teeth on the top jaw and/or the bottom jaw. The complete denture will replace all of the missing teeth on that arch.
A metal partial denture is when you are missing some of the teeth on an arch and there are enough solid teeth to hold the partial in place. A metal partial is sturdier than an acrylic partial and better for chewing. The metal partial denture grabs onto your remaining teeth to stay in place
An acrylic partial denture is mainly for looks. Acrylic partial dentures are not as strong as metal partial dentures and do not perform well with chewing.
If you have a partial denture already and have lost a tooth, we are able to take an impression with your partial denture in place and send it to the lab for them to add a tooth to your existing partial denture. We are able to do this ONLY if your remaining teeth are sturdy enough to hold onto the adjusted partial denture.
Overdentures are complete dentures that attach onto dental implants. The dental implants are able to help the denture stay in place. Dentures can have a hard time staying in place depending on your specific situation. Patients with overdentures are happy to be able to chew better and are not worried about the denture coming out while they are talking.
Do all dentures stay in place?
No, dentures do not stay in place. They grab onto the gums in your mouth and are held in by your cheek and tongue muscles. Dentures are a difficult adjustment for some patients. Some patients have very little bone underneath their gums to hold onto the dentures. Patients can become frustrated with their complete dentures because they do not perform as well as regular teeth.
What can be done if the patient wants the dentures to stay in place?
At Eric Heim Dental, we can help the patient have an overdenture fabricated where the denture will grab onto 2-4 implants. The implants would be placed by the surgeon and have to heal for 4-5 months prior to attaching the denture to them.
What are the benefits of dentures?
Dentures can be beneficial in that they will improve chewing function compared to having no teeth. Also, dentures will improve esthetics since the face height will return to normal and it will look like there are no teeth missing.
