Problems with Missing Teeth

Tooth loss can happen for many reasons, including trauma, tooth decay, or congenital diseases. Maybe you had to have a tooth extraction and are now left with gaps in your smile. If gaps between teeth are left untreated, they can cause more issues for you in the long run, including:

• Low self-esteem from the look of your smile
• The adjacent teeth to the gaps can shift and cause misalignment
• Bone loss of the jawbone can occur and can deform the facial structure
• The gum tissue can become prone to infection

Several restoration options are to fix a missing tooth or teeth, like dental implants, dental crowns and bridges, and dentures. But, no matter your dental restoration needs, Dr. Kurtz in Cheshire, CT, is here to help restore your smile and save your natural teeth. One option we offer to our patients in Cheshire is removable dentures.

We offer partial and complete dentures for a natural-looking smile. Even if you have a complete or partial denture and need adjustments to fix loose dentures, Dr. Kurtz can assist you!

How can Dentures Help You?

If you are missing several teeth or all the teeth in a row, dentures may be an excellent option for you, especially if an option like dental implants cannot happen.

Here are some of the benefits of removable dentures:

• They are the least expensive and least invasive option for replacing missing teeth, especially when compared to dental implants.
• Removable partial dentures offer support to the adjacent teeth to keep them from shifting.
• Dentures are completely non-invasive, and it will not take long for your mouth to adjust to the feeling of your new dentures.
• You will feel more confident again with a natural appearance and a full smile!

What To Expect With Your Full or Partial Dentures

Dentures are replacement teeth that are fixed to a gum-colored plastic resin base. Depending on your needs, our dentist will create a partial or full denture to replace missing teeth. If you have tooth loss from extractions, Dr. Kurtz can put an immediate denture in its place, and then the dentist can create a denture that will fit your needs better.

Complete Dentures

Complete dentures can replace multiple or a full row of teeth in the upper or lower jaw. If you have multiple teeth removed, the dentist may use conventional full dentures to replace them after the gums have time to heal. Immediate dentures may be used in place while your full dentures are being created.

Partial Dentures

Partial dentures are created the same way full dentures are made, but for only a mouth section. There must be healthy, adjacent teeth on each side to help hold the partial denture in place. They can be held in place by several different options:

• Metal framework with claps or other natural-looking claps
• Precision attachments that are screwed into the adjacent healthy teeth
• Denture adhesives can also be used to keep removable dentures in place.

Sometimes dental crowns will need to be placed on the adjacent teeth for precision attachments to hold the dentures in their proper place.

No matter which type of denture you need, Dr. Kurtz will go over how to place your dentures properly and when you can take them out, along with care instructions.

Here are some tips on caring for your dentures.

Caring for Your Dentures

Wearing dentures can take some time to get used to. They may feel awkward at first, and you may want to start by eating soft foods. However, if you eat sticky or hard foods, it may irritate your gums and ruin the denture teeth.

When cleaning your dentures, you should not use a brush with stiff bristles or toothpaste because it can ruin the denture. Instead, our dentist will recommend reasonable cleaning solutions you can use that are made for dentures.

When you take your dentures out at night, they must be placed in a soaking solution or water. This is because dentures need to stay moist to keep their shape.

Adjustments are a common problem that some patients run into after the placement of their dentures. But no worries, Dr. Kurtz can help readjust your dentures or offer solutions to help save the shape of your dentures for a better fit.

To schedule a restorations appointment at our office in Cheshire with Dr. Kurtz, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at 203-699-9705 or click the link here on the website.