Restore & Reinvigorate Your Smile
Living with missing teeth can be an embarrassing and debilitating experience. According to the American College of Prosthodontists, over 178 million Americans are missing at least one adult tooth and over 40 million are missing all of their teeth. Tooth loss reduces your bite force, brings down your self-esteem, and impedes your oral health, which is why restorative dentistry is vital. If you’re looking for a method of smile restoration that’s simple and affordable, Dr. Grivas provides full and partial dentures at our Sacramento, CA office.
What Are Full and Partial Dentures?
Full and partial dentures are false teeth set into a gum-colored base, usually made of acrylic resin, designed to match your natural smile and replace missing teeth. Full dentures, also simply referred to as dentures or complete dentures, are designed to replace an entire arch of missing teeth. Full dentures sit on your gums with the help of suction and adhesives to produce the appearance of a full, healthy smile.
Partial dentures, also called partials, are dentures made to only replace a few teeth in an arch. Instead of relying on suction to stay in place, partials use your remaining healthy teeth for support instead.
Benefits of Full and Partial Dentures
Denture restorations like full and partial dentures offer a wide variety of benefits including:
- Affordability – Full and partial dentures are far more affordable than trying to replace every lost tooth with dental implants.
- Simple Use & Simple Maintenance – Full and partial dentures are easy to use, easy to care for, and easy to adjust for your comfort.
- Improved Bite – Full and partial dentures restore some of your bite force, helping you properly chew food for improved digestion, better nutritional absorption, and reduced risk of choking and diabetes.
- Improved Speech – Full and partial dentures help prevent lisps and speaking impairments caused by tooth loss.
- Smile With Confidence – Whether you opt for full or partial dentures, your smile will be fully restored, helping to boost your confidence.
The Dentures Process
Initial Consultation
Before Dr. Grivas approves you for smile restoration with dentures, he’ll have you come in for an initial consultation. During your initial consultation, your denture specialist will thoroughly examine your mouth and any remaining teeth you may have, review your medical history, and ask you about your smile goals to learn what you want from your treatment.
Extraction
If you’re opting for full dentures and have remaining teeth in the arch your full dentures are being designed for, then Dr. Grivas will extract these teeth. This helps ensure that your full dentures fit properly.
If you opted for partial dentures, extraction shouldn’t be necessary. Don’t worry if you’re feeling nervous about any necessary extraction. Dr. Grivas will apply anesthetic as needed and we can also provide you with sedation dentistry options.
Designing Your Dentures
Once Dr. Grivas has approved you for smile restoration with full and partial dentures, we’ll take digital images and impressions of your mouth, jawbone, and remaining teeth using advanced dental technology. These will be sent off to an off-site laboratory where they’ll be used as blueprints to create your denture restorations. You’ll return to our Sacramento dental office once your dentures are ready.
Immediate Dentures
For patients who don’t want to go without teeth while they wait for their denture restorations, Dr. Grivas may be able to offer immediate dentures. Immediate dentures are temporary denture restorations that can be provided after any extraction or once your denturist has approved you for dentures. However, immediate dentures aren’t customized to perfectly fit the changes your jawbone undergoes after tooth loss due to forces such as loss of jawbone density (resorption).
You’ll likely need to have your immediate dentures adjusted multiple times and there’s a good chance that your immediate dentures will need to be replaced with better customized, more permanent conventional dentures. Conventional dentures are the restorations that will be designed using your images and impressions.
Wearing Your Full and Partial Dentures
Once you return for your denture restorations, Dr. Grivas will show them to you to make sure they’re to your liking. If you approve of your dentures, he’ll show you how to wear them. He’ll also give you instructions on how to care for them.
Caring For Your Full and Partial Dentures
Caring for your denture restorations is vital to their longevity and your smile. Your Sacramento restorative dentist highly recommends the following tips:
- Gently brush your dentures twice a day
- Rinse your dentures after eating and drinking with water or an alcohol-free mouthwash
- Attend routine dental exams with Dr. Grivas so he can adjust and maintain your dentures
- Do not sleep with your dentures as this can lead to an infection called oral thrush
- Soak your denture restorations in a cleaning solution overnight
- Do not use harsh bristles, abrasive toothpastes, hot water, or bleach to clean your dentures as this can damage them
Frequently Asked Questions
The answer to which denture restoration is best will depend on your specific needs. If you have most of your healthy teeth remaining, it’s usually recommended that you opt for partial dentures as it’s better for your oral health. If you’re missing most or all of your teeth, or most of your remaining teeth are severely damaged, it might be a more expedient and affordable option to opt for full dentures instead.
During your initial consultation with Dr. Grivas, he’ll explain your tooth replacement options and determine the best replacement option based on your dental needs. Schedule your consultation to learn more about your restoration options.
The exact cost of your denture restorations will depend on numerous factors including whether you opt for full or partial dentures, the materials used to make your dentures, and your insurance. Dr. Grivas and staff encourage you to contact your insurance provider beforehand to confirm with them which costs they can cover.
If you need help covering the cost of your dentures, our Sacramento office happily offers flexible financing options, including third-party financing through CareCredit and LendingClub, to help alleviate some of our patients’ financial burdens. There are also special offers you may be able to take advantage of which can further help with costs.
Full dentures are built to last an average of five to 10 years, while partial dentures tend to last an average of 15 years. However, the longevity of your full or partial denture restorations will largely depend on how well you care for them. Be sure to follow any care instructions given to you by Dr. Grivas and attend your dental exams as instructed.
The best way to clean your full and partial dentures is with a soft-bristled toothbrush and a specially made denture toothpaste. You should avoid using harsh bristles, hot water, bleach, and toothpaste containing abrasive ingredients. These items can damage your denture restorations, leading to uncomfortable fit, breakage, and additional costs.
Enjoy Simple & Affordable Smile Restoration With Dentures!
With dentures, you can enjoy a simple and affordable way to fully restore your beautiful smile. At our Sacramento dental office, we offer the best modern dentures for patients who want to eat, speak, and smile with confidence again. Denture specialist Dr. Grivas can provide these restorations for patients in Sacramento and surrounding areas such as La Riviera, West Sacramento, Florin, Rosemont, and beyond.
Contact us today at (916) 929-9222 if you have any questions about dentures and partials. You can also request an appointment by filling out the contact form below. We’re here to help you look, feel, and smile your best again!
