Losing one or several adult teeth can make it difficult to chew certain foods, speak naturally, and can often cause changes in your facial structure and bite. If left untreated, missing teeth can have long-term effects on your appearance, health, and how your mouth functions. Dentures—removable replacements for missing teeth and the surrounding tissues—are a great solution to tooth loss that can significantly improve your quality of life.
Full dentures are used to replace all of the teeth in the upper or lower jaw (or both) after tooth loss. They include a gum-colored base that covers your gum tissue and the roof of your mouth, allowing the teeth to sit firmly. Dentures are typically placed in the mouth after any remaining teeth are removed and your gum tissue has healed. With proper care and maintenance, full dentures can last you anywhere from 5 to 10 years.
Partials usually consist of replacement teeth attached to a gum-colored plastic base, which is often connected by a metal framework to hold the denture in place. Unlike full dentures, partial dentures are used when one or more natural teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw. Partials fill in the space created by missing teeth and prevent shifting of remaining teeth.
Dr. Betcher offers both full and partial dentures to replace missing teeth. Our team will help you choose the type of denture best for you depending on whether some or all of your teeth are going to be replaced.