Many people have lost teeth and are looking for a way to restore gaps in their smile. While the best possible tooth replacement for these individuals is dental implants, it may not always be economically feasible for individuals to invest in implant dentistry right away.
In this economy, it may be better for people to look for a temporary alternative until such time as funding or better credit becomes available. Upper partial dentures are one alternative that can replace missing teeth with a functional substitute for real teeth that also helps cosmetically improve ones appearance until such a time that a permanent tooth replacement can be obtained.
Upper partial dentures allow a person to chew more comfortably and maintain a more healthy mouth because they prevent muscles in the cheek and lips from the atrophy that often results from prolonged periods of missing teeth.
There are other benefits to upper partial dentures as well. By filling in gaps between natural teeth, partials prevent them from shifting.
Missing teeth are notorious for setting off chain reactions that frequently result in misalignment, chewing problems, cavities, and periodontal disease. Upper partials can often prevent this chain reaction from being set off. By filling in gaps between natural teeth, they prevent teeth from shifting out of alignment and minimize the risk of enamel becoming damaged and gums becoming disease.
Furthermore, dentures help balance the bite and make chewing more comfortable. They also prevent facial muscles from collapsing into the gaps between teeth, and by doing so, make it easier for a person to speak and have a normal facial appearance.
Upper partial dentures are held in place by clasps that metal clasps that fit around the bases of natural teeth. In spite of the effective hold this creates, there are some disadvantages to this method of retention that patients have to get used to. Clasps will show when a person smiles.
Normally, however, most people will not pay that close attention and never even notice it at all. It is more a matter of overcoming self-consciousness than it is a true diminishment of appearance. More difficult to many people, however, is what happens when they are eating. People normally complain that they can taste the metal of the bar across the palate, and some say the bulky nature of partials can trigger an initial gag reflex before the mouth adjusts to them.
Even dentures that do fit well tend to collect food under their surfaces and have to be rinsed after each meal.
It is for these reasons that we recommend upper partial dentures as an economic stop gap that should only be considered as a temporary solution to a problem. Implants should be regarded as the final and best solution to missing teeth.
Partial dentures will eventually wear on the anchor teeth after several years of being taken in and out of the mouth for cleaning. Even worse, the jaw bone will begin to deteriorate due to the lack of tooth roots or tooth root substitutes. The only thing that can prevent this recession is an implant that functions like a tooth root and gives the jaw bone something to grow around.
If you are facing some tough times, please be reminded that upper partial dentures, though not the best solution, still offer great value as a functional and cosmetic means to an end. Even though they are not the ultimate solution to the very serious problem of missing teeth, they are certainly better than nothing.
Please be aware as well that not all dentures are created equal, and that the best types can only be obtained through trained cosmetic dentists experts who can create the best possible fit as a stop gap in light of better options to come later down the line.
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