When people lose teeth due to decay, oral trauma or gum disease, smile gaps lead to problems with eating, speech, personal appearance, and self-image. Your dentist in Natick, Dr. Christina Papageorgiou and Dr. Medha Singh, custom-create well-fitting and functioning dentures perfect for a patient’s tooth replacement needs and preferences. Whether full or partial, conventional or implant-supported, dentures from Papageorgiou Dental Associates restore great smile aesthetics and outstanding oral function.
The Purpose of Dentures
Dentures replace missing teeth to normalize speech, biting and chewing. Also, dentures create a more youthful facial appearance, avoiding the skin wrinkles and muscle sagging that accompany tooth loss.
Dr. Papageorgiou and her team evaluate patients for their appropriate denture options. She uses oral examination, digital X-rays, and other imaging to visualize soft tissues, remaining teeth and bone structure. She takes oral impressions so dentures have a comfortable, functional and accurate fit with no wobble, slippage or irritation.
Types of Dentures
There are three basic kinds of dentures: partial dentures, immediate full dentures, and conventional full dentures. Dr. Papageorgiou and Dr. Singh use quality materials and great follow-up care to ensure dentures deliver the best possible smiles.
Partial dentures replace one or more teeth. Made from tooth-colored acrylic, artificial teeth are mounted on a metal frame. The frame attaches to adjacent natural teeth with small clasps. “Partials” complete a smile in the same way puzzle pieces complete a jigsaw puzzle. Also, they are removable and last for ten years or more with good at-home and in-office care.
Immediate full dentures replace a complete arch of teeth. The dentist takes oral impressions before tooth extraction, and a trusted dental lab makes the dentures. Then, right after teeth are removed, the dentist puts the dentures in place–thus the name “immediate.”
Here are the benefits of this process: first, the patient leaves the office with a complete set of teeth, and second, the prosthetic places pressure on the extraction sites, stopping bleeding and facilitating healing. However, as time goes on, gums and bone recede, changing the fit of the denture. The appliance must be relined or replaced to ensure good functionality and aesthetics.
Conventional dentures replace an arch of teeth on the top or bottom. Unlike immediate dentures, the extraction sites heal for several weeks before the dentist places the prosthetic. While waiting allows the denture to fit properly when placed, the patient does not have teeth to wear while his or her gums heal.
Implant-supported dentures provide superior fit and function because they are anchored by multiple dental implants. Inserted into the jaw, dental implants in Natick bond with the bone through a process called osseointegration. This bone-building miracle makes a partial or full denture very secure and steady and keeps the jaw bone dense and strong.
As with any restoration or prosthesis, patients need time to adjust to eating and speaking with their new teeth. With practice, results are very good, and Dr. Papageorgiou and her team are readily available to address concerns and to adjust denture fit. Patients should expect to see the dentist a few times over the months following denture placement.
You Can Smile Again
You’ll have excellent health and oral function with our precisely crafted dentures. Please
contact Papageorgiou Dental Associates for a personal consultation about dentures. This skilled and patient-centered team of professionals will craft a smile solution just right for you.