How Many Teeth Do You Need for Partial Dentures?

Dentures are artificial, removable teeth replacements that function and resemble regular teeth. Besides letting you eat foods that require chewing and biting, partial dentures help restore your smile. Partial dentures are artificial and mostly made of nylon, metal, and acrylics.

Partial dentures replace a few teeth instead of an entire set. Usually, no defined number of teeth is required to receive partial dentures. However, the existing natural teeth must be strategically placed in that there is a healthy tooth on each side of the hole you want to fill. Removable partial dentures use the healthy teeth on both sides as anchors to help them stay in place.

Missing teeth are usually a big issue for most. You should visit a South Hadley, MA, dentist to see if you are a good candidate for partial dentures. If you have no teeth, you cannot get partial dentures. In such a case, you would need a complete denture.

Partial dentures can be for the upper or lower teeth. Even though you can receive partials on the bottom jaw or upper jaw alone, there is a high probability that you will receive partials on both jaws. The most common cause of tooth loss among adults is tooth decay. If you have tooth decay in the bottom jaw, there are high chances of tooth decay in the upper jaw. You, therefore, will require partial dentures on both the bottom and upper jaw.

Types of Partial Dentures

There are two types of partial dentures. They both replace a few missing teeth and usually depend on your oral health and the experience of the dentist you pick. They are;

• Removable Partial Dentures

Just as the name suggests, removable partial dentures are temporary. You put them on when necessary, such as when eating or going out.

• Fixed Partial Dentures

On the other hand, fixed partial dentures are fixed permanently in your mouth.

Regardless of the partial dentures you receive, dentists emphasize the importance of good oral hygiene. Partial dentures do not protect your teeth from cavities and decay. You should clean the removable partial dentures every night after you remove them. People with permanent partial dentures should brush their teeth normally (twice daily).

Considerations for Partial Denture Types

• Location in the mouth

Partial dentures are versatile since they may replace a few teeth at the front or the back. According to research, most people are more satisfied with anterior partial dentures. It’s because of the cosmetic improvement and increased ability to bite foods easily.

• Durability

In various instances, the dentist may decide against giving you permanent dentures. Such an instance includes when the dentist first extracts decayed teeth since they need sufficient healing time (six months).

• Number of teeth

When you have healthy remaining teeth adjacent to the gaps, the dentist will recommend replacing more than three teeth with partial dentists.

• Material used

The denture’s base contains plastic, metal, or a mixture of cobalt and chromium. Most partial dentures have titanium. Partial dentures made with plastic bases are less expensive than metallic ones. Metallic, on the other hand, are lighter and durable.

• Flexible dentures

Some people prefer having flexible dentures. They are lightweight, thin, and lack visible metal clips. They are made of metal and plastic. You first warm the flexible dentures in water before putting them on.

• Attachments

Partial dentures have clasps. The clasps are metallic and clipped to the adjoining teeth for stability. Depending on the location of the partial dentures, the metal may be visible.