Types of Dentures Available

Find out which kind of dentures from your Arlington, VA, dentist would be the best way to replace your missing teeth.

If you are missing several or all of your teeth then you want to find a solution that will give you back a full smile as quickly as possible. We know how much your smile can affect your appearance and your confidence. Our Arlington, VA, dentist Dr. Bruce Hanley offers several ways to replace missing teeth, but many of his patients still turn to dentures. Here are the different types of dentures from which to choose.

Full: Just as the name suggests, this type of denture is designed to replace your upper or lower set of teeth. These dentures are custom-made to sit right on top of the gums, forming a pocket that helps the false teeth suction into place.

Patients may also use denture adhesives to stabilize their full dentures while speaking or chewing. Full dentures are a good option for anyone who needs to replace their entire upper or lower set of teeth.

Partial: Partial dentures can be fixed or removable, but most of the time it is fixed in place using existing teeth to support it (this is also known as a dental bridge). With removable partial dentures, special clasps or attachments are placed around existing teeth to hold it in place.

Placing partial dentures as soon as possible can also prevent natural teeth from shifting into gaps in your smile. Partial dentures are ideal for patients missing some teeth but who still have healthy teeth to support their partial dentures.

Immediate: This type of denture can be placed right after getting a tooth extraction. While you’ll have to wait up to 12 weeks to get your permanent dentures, immediate dentures can be placed right away so that you don’t have to go without teeth.

Of course, immediate dentures aren’t custom-fitted so they aren’t meant for long-term wear. Immediate dentures are ideal for anyone who needs to undergo a tooth extraction and wants to have teeth while their gums heal.

Overdentures: Some patients choose to get dental implants to support their dentures. Dental implants are placed into the jawbone, where they fuse together with bone and tissue, to provide a long-term post from which to support false teeth.

Implants will ensure that full dentures, particularly dentures meant to replace upper teeth, don’t shift, click or move around. Overdentures are ideal for patients looking for a more resilient and reliable way to support dentures to prevent them from moving around.

Are you dealing with tooth loss in Arlington, VA, and want to find out if you are an ideal candidate for dentures? If so, then it’s time to call our dental office to schedule a consultation with our dentist, Dr. Hanley.