Denture Technology

Dentures have long been one of the tools used by dental experts to help people deal with lost or missing teeth. While the days when dentures were made of wood or animal teeth (such as the famous pair worn by George Washington) are long past, there are many people who still need this dental prosthetic. And as the need has increased, so has the variety of dentures available and the technology that's used to produce them.

Dentures are helpful for maintaining normal function once teeth are gone.

Conventional Dentures

Conventional dentures are those which duplicate an entire row of a person's teeth. These dentures are meant to be used by the patient after the healing process has finished and the tissue of the gums is no longer tender or painful. These dentures are usually ready to be used from eight to 12 weeks after the patient's teeth have been removed. In the past these dentures were made of materials like animal teeth or wood, but as technology has advanced more materials have become available. Varieties of plastic are most common, and some have metal supports inside them to make sure the dentures have structure.

Immediate Dentures

Another variety of complete denture (ones that make up an entire row of teeth) are immediate dentures. This prosthetic is made in advance, and it's ready to be placed as soon as a person's teeth have been fully removed. The advantage to immediate dentures is that the patient doesn't have to be without teeth for several months. However, gums, teeth and bones change shape over time and this is especially true during the healing process after tooth removal. As such, immediate dentures are a good temporary solution but shouldn't be used permanently. The concept of immediate dentures is a relatively new advance in denture technology. Even as far back as a few decades ago, the idea of a temporary denture solution was something that wasn't commonly available because of expense. Advances in procedures and techniques have made them a fairly common solution.

Partial Dentures

Partial dentures are used by people who still have some natural teeth but who also have large gaps in their smile. Dental crowns are placed on the teeth on either side of the gap, and a bridge is placed between them. The gap is filled with artificial teeth which are attached to a pink, plastic base held in place with a metal framework. These artificial teeth not only fill in the gaps in a person's mouth, but they will stop the remaining, natural teeth from migrating. This technology came with the invention of versatile plastics and advanced as techniques were perfected. Partial dentures are safe and affordable, and the materials are still advancing as more discoveries in metallurgy and dental resins are made.

Overdentures

Overdentures are an option for people with particularly bad teeth. When partial dentures are necessary, but the remaining teeth are too weak to support the dentures, overdentures are used. The remaining teeth are given root canal treatment, and then sealed and protected to make them stronger and more supportive. A regular, partial denture is installed over the newly strengthened teeth. Overdentures use reinforcing materials and techniques adapted from partial dentures.

Dental Implants

With the advance of technology, dental implants are becoming the option of choice for many people. Though not strictly a denture, dental implants involve a permanent framework being implanted in a patient's gums. On this framework permanent bridges are cemented in place which function like natural teeth.