Custom-Made Partial and Full Dentures in St. Louis, MO
Every set of dentures from West County Dental in St. Louis is custom-made for a comfortable, natural-looking fit. Our dental team uses a direct mold of your teeth and gums to create a replica of your mouth, ensuring your dentures will be fabricated just for you. Modern design methods and materials mean that dentures could be the answer you’ve been looking for to transform weak or missing teeth into a full smile with full function. Contact our dental office today to schedule an exam and ask our dentist which types of restorative dental treatments are best for your health and smile.
Understanding the Difference Between Full and Partial Dentures
Dentures are a restorative dental option to give you back the ability to enjoy the foods you love and speak with comfort and confidence. Dentures are removable dental appliances that replace missing teeth and surrounding tissue. They are made to resemble your natural teeth and create a more desirable appearance. There are two types of dentures: full dentures and partial dentures.
Partial Dentures
Not all dentures require a full new set of teeth. A partial denture not only fills in the spaces created by missing teeth, but it also prevents other teeth from moving. Partial dentures attach to your existing teeth by covering and resting on the gums and bone in place of missing teeth.
The cost of partial dentures is usually lower than full dentures and will vary depending on the location, size, and whether Dr. Spalitto will need to perform any preparatory dental work (such as extractions, root canals, or dental implants) before creating the partial denture set. Your insurance may even cover the cost of partial or full dentures, depending on your policy, so check with your provider and ask our office if your treatment could be covered.
Even if you plan to get permanent dental implants in the future, sometimes a partial denture is a temporary option that can be worn after the implant surgery while your jaw heals. When the implant is healed enough to support a crown or bridge, you will stop wearing the partial denture set.
Full Dentures
While partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain, full dentures are utilized when all the teeth need to be replaced. Among the types of full dentures to consider, there are two main categories: conventional or immediate.
A conventional full denture is made after the teeth have been removed and the gum tissue has healed.
Immediate dentures, as the name implies, are made in advance, so they are ready for use immediately after the teeth are removed, preventing you from living without teeth while waiting to heal. Once the tissues have healed, Dr. Spalitto can make adjustments for a perfect fit.
Dentures are durable appliances and are made to last for many years, although sometimes they must be remade, repaired, or readjusted due to normal wear. Once you’re used to chewing and talking with your dentures in, you should be able to eat normally. Harder foods or sticky foods may take more practice or need to be avoided completely, depending on your comfort level and your dentist’s recommendation. If you’re eating with partial dentures, using a small amount of adhesive can help hold them in place while you become accustomed to eating again.
Dental Bridges and Other Restorative Dental Solutions
Just because you’re missing a tooth doesn’t mean dentures or a full crown are the only options available for you. Dental implants and same-day crowns are other permanent methods of smile restoration to make smiling and eating easy and natural again.
Another solution to filling gaps left by missing teeth, dental bridges are built to cover the gap between your natural teeth, restoring your smile back to its original beauty without any noticeable difference. They also maintain your ability to chew and stop your teeth from shifting. Call today to book your appointment with Dr. Spalitto and begin the journey back to a beautiful smile.
Contact West County Dental today for a beautiful new smile!