Partial dentures are a dental prosthesis in which the lower jaw and/or the teeth are fully removable. Partial dentures are very common for patients who can’t have full dentures because they are unable to achieve certain set heights or cannot afford full dentures. Partial dentures have been known to provide a more natural and comfortable feeling than a complete set of dentures would, as well as allowing patients to eat with their mouth fully open and improve oral hygiene. Partial dentures have gained popularity among those with missing teeth, those who can’t have full dentures due to financial constraints or an inability to achieve certain required dental heights, and those who wish to replace a single missing tooth with another. Partial dentures may be secured with retainers, which are adhered to the existing teeth by a bonding agent, or may be secured with retainers that need to be applied with a special silicone-based glue. The degree to which partial dentures help in improving oral hygiene and eliminating the feeling of partial dentures is dependent on the degree of partial dentures and the amount of tooth loss, the degree of tooth deformities and the size and shape of the remaining teeth.
Patients who are applying partial dentures for the first time should seek advice from their dentist before doing so to ensure that they are not under any threat of infection. Bridges are used when one or more teeth in the mouth have been missing for an extended period, resulting in a gap between the teeth. Bridges and retainers are also used for those patients whose missing one or more teeth require them to wear dentures in order to open the mouth fully. Most bridges and retainers can be purchased and fitted at a cosmetic dentist’s office.
Dentists will offer patients the option to have a combination of bridge and retainers, which are suitable for those whose teeth are receding, for whom bridge and retainers are inconvenient, or for whom complete restoration of the teeth is impossible. Dentists will also provide patients with a range of options for the materials that they can have incorporated into their partial dentures, including titanium bridges. These bridges have come a long way in terms of aesthetics and are available in various colors. Titanium is considered to be a more cost-effective material for bridges than gold.