Dentures and Crowns

DENTURES

Dentures are artificial teeth on a metal or acrylic base. Dentures can be removable or fixed.

COMPLETE DENTURES

A Complete Denture is a removable prosthesis that replaces all teeth within an arch, thus some patients have only an upper denture, some only a lower and some have both upper and lower complete dentures.

Advantages of Complete Dentures
  • Least costly treatment for replacing all teeth in an entire arch
  • Esthetically pleasing
  • Shortest treatment time from start to finish

    • Disadvantages of Complete Dentures
  • They can feel very bulky, particularly upper dentures which cover the entire roof of the mouth
  • Lower dentures are rarely as stable as upper dentures because of various muscles, including the tongue, which can dislodge the denture
  • No matter how good a denture is made, some patients will never be able to have a comfortable and stable denture due to the anatomy of their jaws
  • A patient’s jaw changes over time and dentures have to be relined occasionally to remain stable
  •  
    • Conventional Dentures

    This type of Complete Denture involves having all of the teeth removed for at least 3-4 weeks prior to beginning fabrication of the denture. This allows the tissues to heal from the extractions so that the denture will fit accurately and the tissue underneath the denture is no longer healing and changing shape.
    Fabricating Complete Dentures in this way is very accurate, however if a patient does not already have a denture, they would be without teeth during this time. Reasonable so, most patients do not want to function without teeth during this time. This is where Immediate Dentures come into play which can be given immediately after extraction of all teeth.

    Fixed Dentures

    “Fixed” dentures are attached to “implants” The color of the acrylic matches and appears like the gums. They are convenient to use, prevent bone loss and are effective for chewing and speaking. They can replace multiple missing teeth and preserve the harmony of the environment inside the mouth. They also prevent “sinking in” of the cheeks and the “aged” appearance which comes with the loss of teeth and keep you looking younger. In case of these Implant supported dentures, the dentures lock on to the head of the implants facilitating in additional retention. These dentures can be removed by patients for cleaning purposes.

    CROWNS

    When your tooth is damaged but not lost, a dental crown is the best alternative to restore its structure and function. Dental crowns are ‘caps’ that cover your natural tooth made to fit snugly at the gum line to protect the remainder of your tooth. Not only can crowns cover decay or cracks, they can work together with dental bridges to help hold a replacement tooth and cover dental implants.

    When are crowns suggested?
  • Most commonly after RCT, to reinforce the undergoing tooth
  • Over a discolored, fractured or worn out tooth to improve its appearance
  • To strengthen a tooth with an extensive filing since it is structurally compromised
  • Over an implant to provide tooth like shape & structure
  • To replace a missing tooth by crowning its adjacent teeth
  • For proper alignment of teeth to enhance the cosmetic appearance

    • What Are Crowns Made Of?

    We use crowns made from porcelain and can match a crown to the exact color of the surrounding teeth. The benefit of a porcelain crown allows for a more natural looking solution for functional and aesthetic tooth problems. Your restoration will be virtually unnoticeable

    BRIDGES

    If you are missing one or more teeth, your dental surgeon may suggest fitting a prosthetic device to fill the gap i.e Dental Bridge.
    A dental bridge is a type of dental prosthesis which literally bridges the gap between two teeth. If you have lost one or two teeth due to decay or because of an accident, a bridge can make your smile complete again. Traditional tooth bridges use the adjacent teeth as anchors for the prosthesis. The prosthesis used for a fixed bridge consists of a crown on either side and one or two pontics (artificial teeth) in the middle. The crowns are hollow and fit over the neighboring teeth to secure the bridge in place.
    In order for the crowns to fit properly, the anchor teeth must be filed down from their original size as part of the dental bridge procedure. These two teeth have to be strong enough to support the bridge and take the extra biting pressure. Dentists may perform root canal treatment on the anchor teeth before removing the necessary amount of enamel.
    The main drawback to a fixed bridge is having to ‘sacrifice’ two healthy teeth. If you later decide to replace your bridge with an implant, the adjacent teeth will require crowns since removal of enamel is permanent.
    Source: Dentaly.org