Dentures
Great Falls, MT
 There are various prosthetic devices that we can create and customize to replace missing teeth. This includes both a partial denture and a full denture. Our staff at River's Edge Dental can examine the status of your teeth, and discuss a variety of replacement and retention options with you. Together, we can create a treatment plan that fits your oral health and your budget while improving your smile.
Dentures are used to replace missing teeth. In general, there are two variations of dentures, either partial or full dentures. The difference between the two lies in how many natural teeth remain. What we can do with them can vary. Today, patients have a much wider variety of options including how they look, how they fit and how they stay in place.
Full Dentures
Full dentures are needed when the patient no longer has any healthy teeth remaining. This may be due to chronic periodontitis, severe decay, trauma, or the loss of sufficient bone to support your teeth. When the condition of the teeth or bone has deteriorated to the point that they can no longer be repaired, removal may be the only option. If this is the case for you, we can discuss ways to have your denture be more comfortable and stable allowing you to eat your regular diet.
A complete or full denture is often known for being a removable prosthesis of white plastic teeth in a pink gum-colored plastic base; the denture is designed to rest on the gum ridge after all of the natural teeth have been removed. Today, there are options for permanently retaining your denture in place with the use of dental implants.
Life with a removable upper and/or lower denture is a major lifestyle change compared to your natural teeth. Dentures can impact the type of food you are able to eat, your self-confidence in social situations and even your self-esteem. We can help you have a much more stable feel and more freedom in how you use them with the insertion of dental implants to anchor your denture in place.
Implant Retained Dentures
A dental implant is a post that can be surgically placed in the jawbone to anchor your denture device. This treatment often requires between 4-6 implants for retention. Implant retention can be used with snap on options, bar-retained dentures or the All-on-4® Treatment Concept. All implant retained dentures will provide the patient with a denture that feels and fits much more natural and comfortable.
Partial Dentures
A partial denture is used to replace some teeth, though not all teeth on a single arch. Both a dental bridge and a partial denture can be used to restore some, but not all, missing teeth. A dental bridge is used to replace up to three missing teeth, to retain it we need an anchor on each side, this can be either a healthy tooth or a dental implant. The bridge is then cemented permanently in place. A partial denture is a removable prosthetic. It also uses anchor teeth to attach to, but is held in place with clasps that attach to the anchor teeth. Some patients prefer this removable option for cleaning and care.
A partial denture is inherently much more stable and comfortable than a complete denture, so if we are able to retain any teeth, a partial denture is a better option than a full denture. There are many factors that we consider when determining if you are a candidate for tooth replacement with a partial denture. We will examine both the health of the gums and the shape and strength of the anchor teeth.
Finally, partial dentures can be designed to allow for the future loss of teeth which we can review and discuss during your appointment.
Call us today at (406) 315-5882 to come in and get fitted for dentures. |
