Dentures & Partials

Dentures and removable partial dentures are appliances that replace missing teeth. A full denture replaces all the teeth in an arch; a partial fills in around the teeth you still have and clasps onto them for support.

Partial dentures

A partial is an option when several teeth are missing but healthy ones remain. It restores chewing surface and appearance, and it stops the remaining teeth drifting into the spaces.

Partials are removable, which makes them easier to clean and less expensive than fixed alternatives. The trade-off is that they are less stable than a bridge or implants, and the clasps can be visible depending on where they sit.

Full dentures

A full denture rests on the gum tissue and is held largely by suction and by the shape of the ridge underneath. Upper dentures generally hold well. Lower dentures are harder — there is less surface area, and the tongue and lip muscles work against them all day. Many people who struggle with a denture are struggling with a lower one.

Learning to eat and speak with a new denture takes practice, and the fit needs adjusting in the first weeks as the tissues settle. That is normal, and it is included in the process rather than a sign something is wrong.

Implant-supported dentures

If supported by implants, dentures are much more comfortable and stable, and can greatly improve quality of life for the patient. This is the single biggest change available to someone who has given up on a lower denture.

A small number of implants — often two to four in the lower jaw — give the denture something solid to attach to. It snaps into place, stays put while you eat, and stops rocking against the gum. You still remove it to clean it, but it behaves like part of you rather than something you are managing.

Dr. Curtis D. Schmidt places the implants and the DeKoch dentists make the denture that attaches to them, so the two halves are planned together from the start.

The bone underneath

When teeth are removed, the bone ridge that held them gradually resorbs. This is why a denture that fit well five years ago becomes loose — the denture has not changed shape, the jaw has. Dentures need relining or remaking periodically for this reason.

Implants slow that loss, because the bone around a loaded implant keeps being stimulated. It is one of the strongest arguments for implant support beyond comfort alone.

Caring for a denture

Clean it daily over a folded towel or a basin of water so a drop does not break it, use a denture brush and cleanser rather than toothpaste, and leave it out overnight so the tissue can recover. Keep coming in for exams even if you have no natural teeth left — we check the fit, the health of the tissue underneath, and screen for oral cancer.