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Dental Partials

You’ve probably seen elderly people taking off their prosthetic teeth and placing them in a glass of water before going to bed. That dental prosthetic is called dental partials. Also known as removable dentures, dental partials consist of artificial teeth placed on a molded base to which a metal clasp is added. The only downside to this teeth replacement option is that it only improves the oral cavity’s look, but not its functionality.

Bridge

Much like removable dentures, a bridge is designed to replace missing teeth and cover the imperfection tooth loss created. However, it differs from dental partials because it’s permanently installed on the gum. Subsequently, its permanence leads to the improvement not just of the teeth’s appearance but also their function.

It’s a sad fact that lost teeth can never grow back. That being said, there are many ways to artificially replace missing chompers, and one of the most popular ones are dentures.

Luckily, those who have lost the battle against tooth loss and have consequently shed some of their pearly whites can have durable false teeth or dentures made care of a reputable dental practice. These restorative devices come in removable and permanent varieties. The latter option, which entails dental implant surgery, commands a bigger expense yet provides a stronger and longer-lasting solution to tooth loss.

A dental implant is a small, screw-like device made of titanium alloy that requires a strong foundation (i.e. jawbone) to withstand the pressures of everyday chewing and clenching. Normally, people with thin jawbones are advised to undergo bone grafting surgery that entails transplanting a piece of bone onto the jaw as a way to replace damaged or missing bone. Such a procedure entails several months’ recovery time before implant surgery can take place.

Meanwhile, scientists from the University of Iowa have discovered an alternative way of growing new bone in the jaw. The method involves the use of a biopatch or a nano-sized particle that delivers bone-regenerating DNA directly to the cells. The success rate of this procedure, however, has yet to be established on a wider scale.

Traditionally, dentures were complete sets of upper and lower teeth designed to replace all the teeth of a patient. Those who choose to have complete dentures have the remainder of their surviving teeth all pulled out in order to accommodate the new dental appliance. Such a sacrifice might not sit well with patients who want to preserve the last few real teeth they have. Fortunately, it is now possible to wear partial dentures that cover large gaps along a patient’s teeth without having to pluck the individual’s last natural teeth.

While dentures are the most common solution to large amounts of missing teeth, the temporary variety is often uncomfortable to wear for most users. Apart from that, it can be quite cumbersome to maintain, and the bone loss associated with missing teeth leads to the alteration in the jaw that makes it more ill-fitting.

Dental implants, on the other hand, are recommended because they are a permanent fixture and are the closest to the look and feel of natural teeth. Unfortunately, if most, or all, of the teeth are missing, the possibility of having to insert individual titanium posts to serve as the individual roots of each tooth can both be risky and costly.

Thanks to continued dental advancements, implants have been combined with dentures to produce mini implants. Similar to dental implants, titanium posts are inserted into a person’s gum line. Instead of one per tooth, however, the handful of implants collectively holds a denture that becomes a permanent fixture in the user’s mouth.

When you have these concerns, dental partials may just be the right solution for you. Also known as removable dental partials (RDPs), dental partials are similar to conventional dentures. The number of teeth replacement you need will determine the design of the prosthesis, but the basic structure of RDPs involves false teeth anchored onto a pink acrylic base that resembles your gums.

Metal clasps or precision attachments are used to connect dental partials to the remaining natural teeth surrounding the lost one/s. In addition to metal clasps, other more natural looking connectors are available. In some instances, crowns on adjacent natural teeth may be recommended to improve the dental partials’ fit.

Dental partials are false teeth implanted either temporarily or permanently to replace a patient's missing or damaged tooth. Unlike dentures that look like full sets, partials aim to replace a single tooth or a row of few teeth. Their implantation and care is quite different than other synthetic teeth, but both sport the same function and purpose.