Various factors lead to missing teeth in a person. The most common factors that lead to missing teeth are injuries and dental diseases. In such a situation, most people seek ways to restore their teeth and missing teeth. Removable bridges or partials can be a suitable option for people seeking ways to restore their teeth. Northridge Dental Implant Center offers reliable services to clients seeking ways that they can replace their missing teeth.

Understanding Removable Bridges or Partials

Removable bridges or partials can be explained as a removable dental prosthesis that helps a person to restore a smile or the teeth. Removable partials are suitable for people without enough teeth to support the denture or lack enough finances for a fixed dental device. They can either be supported by teeth or dental implants. Dental implant removable partials are common due to their longevity compared with the teeth-supported option.

Types of Removable Partials

There are three basic types of partial dentures. The first type is a cast removable partial option with a metal base and acrylic teeth attached to it, both with metal hooks that hold the denture in place. They might be cumbersome, but they have been used successfully for years in dentistry.

The second type of removable partials is the all-acrylic type. It is also referred to as interim or temporary removable denture.

Finally, the third type of removable partial is the flexible denture or valplast. This is a nylon thermoplastic material that harbors several advantages compared with the metal base and the all-acrylic option. It has no metal clasp and has lightweight. Its material is translucent, which shows the patient’s gum, giving a natural appearance.

The flexible denture can replace a few missing teeth or modified to replace a missing tooth on the side of the mouth, which significantly enhances comfort. A flexible partial denture is an option that is suitable for people with allergic reactions to valplast or the metal-based option. It is also resistant to breakage and is quite affordable.

Why You Should Choose Removable Partials

For one to decide on removable partials, there must be several benefits that one is after. The most significant advantage of using this type of restorative dentistry is its cost-effectiveness. As discussed above, removable partials are quite affordable compared with the fixed ones. Besides that, they have several other benefits that hail from the dental implant used in their placement. These benefits are as follows:

They Improve Your Appearance

Removable dentures assure a remarkable appearance, making the user appear natural. They have a similar look and feel like natural teeth. You do not have to worry about the stability of your prosthesis with a strong implant foundation and sturdy clasps.

Removable Partials Improves Your Confidence

There is nothing as embarrassing as losing your smile. Such a situation can significantly affect your confidence. However, with a small budget, you can easily manage to maintain your confidence with removable partials. You might think that such a type of restorative dentistry option might embarrass you at times, but with a durable and robust clasping component, you do not have to worry about such a situation.

Durability

If you choose removable dentures made out of durable material, you are guaranteed of their usage for the longest time possible. However, this requires constant and proper care.

Improves Your Eating

It is quite hard to eat without teeth. However, with prostheses such as a removable denture, you do not have to worry about this essential life activity. Your chewing will improve significantly and is efficient, up to 80% compared with natural teeth. The clasps used to hold the removable dentures to the implants will ensure that the dentures are not affected by your chewing.

Improves Your Taste

It is quite difficult to taste food without the upper teeth. However, with the dentures, you can easily manage to enjoy the taste of any food since it can hold food in the mouth for a while. Your tasting will improve if you use the partial removable denture since the full upper removable ones cover the whole roof of the mouth, which inhibits tasting.

Improves Your Speech

It can be quite hard to speak without any teeth in your mouth. Although removable dentures do not seem to be a suitable option, they can still improve your speech if they have a strong clasping component. If one has such prosthesis in the mouth, one will be confident enough to speak without mumbling and slurring words.

Although several advantages hail from the use of removable dentures, a couple of disadvantages might result from their preference. These disadvantages are as follows:

  • You have to spend quite some time getting used to the denture in your mouth.

  • Removable partial dentures can promote the build-up of plaque around the teeth, which can lead to gum disease or decay.

  • The abutment teeth can experience trauma, which results from the movement of the partial.

  • They can be inconvenient at some time when you have to remove them at night and maintain them. Such requirements can be stressful for someone with a busy schedule.

What You Expect in the Setting of Removable Bridges or Partials

If you have to depend on the dental implant as the base of your removable bridges, the dentist must start with the dental implant procedure, proceed to the designing and installation of the removable bridges. The whole process is as follows:

Step 1: Preparation for the Dental Implant

Before a person undertakes a dental implant, one must consider a couple of factors to prepare for the process. Your dentist will give you a set of instructions that will help you prepare well for the surgery.

The first step in preparing for the procedure is undertaking a comprehensive dental examination. The dentist will evaluate you by taking a visual exam, x-ray, and go through your medical records. The kind of preparation that you will go through depends on the following:

  • Whether your immune system is suppressed

  • If you are allergic to anesthesia or dental materials

  • If you have any issue with the medication used

  • If you have an extremely healthy jaw

Once the dentist takes you through the evaluation procedure, he or she can recommend a course of antibiotics if found necessary. The course of antibiotics is usually recommended when you have undergone an organ transplant, which requires you to take drugs that can suppress your immunity.

The dentist might decide to go through a jaw preparation process if your jaw cannot anchor the implant properly. The dentist can choose to improve your jaw through the following ways:

  • A bone graft if the jaw is too thin and cannot support the implant.

  • Sooth or reshape the jaw if found necessary.

  • Remove some bone from the jaw if it is too bulky.

  • Remove any impacted teeth if found they are present inside the jaw.

Finally, you will have to schedule your downtime and aftercare. You will expect some swelling after the surgery and might need some rest and healing. In that case, you must adequately prepare to ensure that the aftercare goes smoothly. Generally, you should make arrangements such as:

  • Stocking up pain medication and soft food

  • Getting at least two days off your work

  • Adjusting your weekly schedule to allow enough time to recover

  • Breaking from your regular exercise

  • Find a caregiver who can help around your house for at least two days after your surgery.

Step 2: The Oral Surgery

As you prepare for your oral surgery, make sure that you wear loose and comfortable clothes to avoid complications. The surgical procedure is undertaken, and local anesthesia is administered to perform the oral surgery, The surgery takes two phases which include different aspects.

In the first phase, your dentist will consider the following:

  • Your mouth will thoroughly be numbed with local anesthesia.

  • An incision will be made to expose the jawbone.

  • A specialized drilling process will be done to create a space for the implant.

  • The dentist will screw the implant into the space using a hand tool.

  • A second component will be screwed into the implant and will remain in place during the healing procedure.

  • The gum will be stitched.

  • Over the course of the next few months, the implant will firmly secure itself into your jawbone.

In the second phase, you will expect the following considerations:

  • The dentist will re-exposure the implant by making a small incision into your gum.

  • A small extension is set on the implant to make an impression.

  • A series of appointments are taken to create the removable partial.

Step 3: Creation of the Dental Impression

A dental impression is necessary to create an imprint of your teeth and mouth. It creates a perfect replica of your oral tissues and teeth. The dentist uses a plastic material to fit the teeth and the gums. The tray is constructed for your top or lower jaw based on your target restoration.

In the creation process, a thick material such as alginate or polyvinylsiloxane gets dispensed in a U-shaped tray to ensure that it properly fits the mouth. Alginate is a naturally occurring product, making it safe for dermatology usage. It is also useful in absorbing water, making it a suitable product for the medical field. The dentist can either use stock trays or special trays.

Stock trays provide an opportunity to manufacture the impressions in different sizes and shapes. The dentist chooses the tray with the closest match to the size and shape of the individual patient. On the other hand, special trays produce the exact specification of the patient’s oral size and shape.

The respective liquid utilized in this process takes the impression needed for the patient. Some prints usually take a rigid mold, while other impressions are elastic and pliable. After the dentist or laboratory technician pours the liquid in the tray, it is placed onto the upper or lower set of teeth to cover the entire arch. The top roof of the mouth is included in the upper impression, while the floor marks the lower print.

After a few minutes, the liquid will set and harden to become a solid rubber mass. The dentist will then remove the tray from the mouth and send it to the laboratory for complete processing. The laboratory technician will pour stone to the impression to produce the dental cast. The cast will be a replica of the mouth.

Step 4: Manufacturing of the Removable Denture

Once the mold has been cast, the laboratory expert will fill it with acrylic resin to kick off the denture formation. The expert will use a releasing agent before adding the resin to make sure that the hardened acrylic can be easily removed after completing the procedure. A sheet that separates the film between the acrylic can be helpful in this procedure. The expert will then mix the resin compounds in liquid form, which dries and hardens to make a durable finish.

After the drying process is complete, the expert will pack the mixture into molds in a tightly enclosed vertical vise. At this point, the expert will inspect the filling and add necessary resin if needed. The expert usually uses certain types of acrylic rather than utilizing the vice pack. However, this process is vulnerable to air bubbles compared to hand picking.

Once the mold is packed up, the denturist will proceed to the heating process to initiate the chemical process that hardens the resin. This procedure might last up to eight hours. After the heating is completed, the mold is cooled and broken apart to remove the denture.

At this point, the dentist will place the denture into your mouth to ensure that it fits your mouth and has a proper bite. Since the process involves several steps, there might be a few discrepancies in the fit. The difference is usually minor, and grinding and smoothing would help in adjusting the denture to ensure that it fits.

Step 5: Quality Control

It is essential to control the denture's quality to ensure that it fits and appears natural inside the patient's mouth. It is hard to find two sets of dentures that are alike, even if they are made out of the same person’s impression. Therefore, a quality control process is essential to ensure its longevity and usability.

In this process, the dentist can employ two ways. The first process is referred to as relining, which involves the resurfacing of the denture sides that will contact the gum. Such type of adjustment is essential since the dental impression used to manufacture the denture can move the gum. In that case, the denture might fail to fit appropriately.

The other quality control procedure is referred to as rebasing. This process is necessary when the denture base degenerates and does not extend to the relevant gum areas. In most cases, a patient might require either of this procedure five to eight years after the denture's placement.

Aftercare for Your Removable Partials

Once the dentist fixes the removable partials, you might feel awkward or bulky at first. Such an experience is normal, and you will become accustomed to it within a short time.Also, you need to practice removing and inserting the partial dentures to ensure you do it well. Follow through the instructions given by your dentist. The denture should fit into place with ease. Therefore, never force to position it by biting it down. You could easily break or bend the clasps.

Initially, you will be required to put the dentures at all times, although it might be uncomfortable. However, it is the quickest way to identify the areas that might need some adjustments. If it puts a lot of pressure in a specific area, which might end up with a sore, the dentist should adjust the partial denture and ensure that it fits comfortably. After the adjustments, you will probably be recommended to start taking the denture out before you go to bed and put it on in the morning.

Also, you will not experience a smooth as you expect. Therefore, you should start by eating soft foods that you should cut into small pieces. Ensure that you chew on both sides and keep even pressure on both sides. Avoid eating food that is incredibly sticky or hard since it might end up breaking your denture.

Finally, the dentures will improve your speech, but you will find difficulty in pronouncing certain words. In that case, practice reading those words aloud and repeat them when they give you trouble. With time, you will be used to speaking properly with partial dentures.

Now that you know the kind of experiences that result from partial dentures, you should learn about the type of care that they need to ensure their longevity. Here are a couple of considerations that you should make.

  • Your dentist might recommend a denture cleaner. Make sure that the American Dental Association has approved the denture cleanser.

  • While you are cleaning the denture, stand over a sink filled with water or a folded towel in case you accidentally drop the denture.

  • Avoid toothpaste since it is hard on your cleaning dentures.

  • You might consider using hand soap or hand washing liquid to clean the dentures. However, beware of your choice of the product since most of them might be too abrasive and might affect the denture.

  • Regularly brush the denture to remove plaque and food deposit, This will prevent the permanent staining of the denture.

  • Use the specific type of brush designed to wash the dentures. The particular variety of brushes have bristles that are not too abrasive onto the denture and will not affect it in any way.

  • Thoroughly clean the dentures and rinse off every food particle. Moisten the brush before applying the denture cleaner. Make sure that you have washed all the surfaces to avoid the damage and bending of its attachment.

  • Avoid loosening the denture by keeping it moist. Soak the denture in water or soaking solution. The dentist will also recommend other ways to keep the denture in perfect shape.

  • Avoid chewing or gargling with the denture cleanser.

  • Thoroughly rinse the denture before placing it in the mouth.

Cost of Installing Removable Partials or Bridges

The cost of removable denture differs according to the type of materials used in their manufacture. The price ranges between $300 to $500, while the whole process costs between $2,000 to $4,000. The price might include the clasps or precision attachments needed to fit the dentures on the bridges.

Besides that, particular aspects might affect the cost of setting up the removable bridges or partials. These factors are as follows:

Complexity

The most basic indicator of the value of your denture is the complexity of its installation. A person with a whole row of teeth that need replacement might incur a lot of expenses compared to someone with a few missing teeth.

Expediency

The denture procedure usually takes some time since the custom smile must be fabricated from scratch to ensure that it fits perfectly into the mouth. Even so, the cost might be expedited at a slightly higher expense. So if this is your interest, you should ask your dentist whether you fit the procedure.

Implant Support

Using implant support will quickly increase the total cost of your whole procedure. Implant-support has a high rate of satisfaction since they have a low-maintenance. However, they have a more installation procedure involved, which makes them more expensive compared with a standard set.

Type of Dentist

The dentist that you choose has a significant impact on the price of the removable dental implant. Dentists with a lot of years of experience tend to charge higher rates than those with less experience.

Find a Dental Implant Center Near Me

Removable denture stands to be a cost-effective way to restore your smile. To achieve excellent results, you should find a dentist with experience in installing removable dentures. Northridge Dental Implant Center has the experience in this kind of restorative dentistry and can offer credible services when needed. If you are in Northridge, CA, contact us at 818-925-9181 and schedule a consultation with us.