Patients can lose their teeth for various reasons – trauma from a fall in early childhood; tooth decay or fracture in adulthood to periodontal (gum disease) in their older years. In an article published by SingHealth, experts found that 3 out of 10 older Singaporeans have no teeth, which means they are in need of false teeth. Learn more about dentures in Singapore here.
Patients who experience tooth loss usually need some form of dental prosthetics, particularly dentures, to replace their missing teeth. The prosthesis serves to replace and even in some cases improve chewing efficiency, speech and pronunciation, as well as restore facial profile and aesthetics.
In other words, dentures are typically recommended for individuals who have lost several or all of their teeth, whether due to injury, decay, or gum disease. Wearing a partial or full denture to replace missing teeth provides support for the lips and cheeks and corrects the collapsed appearance that occurs after tooth loss, therefore creating a natural facial appearance. Dental prosthetics can also prevent drifting and overloading of the remaining teeth and serve to prevent further tooth loss.
Your Dentist would be the best person to assess what form of dental prosthetics would be most appropriate for your remaining dentition and which best suits your lifestyle as well as budget.
The Different Types of False Teeth or Dentures in Singapore
Dentures are removal replacements for missing teeth and they are designed to look and function like your own natural teeth and the surrounding gum tissues. Modern day dentures can look very realistic and natural and feel comfortable as well.
There are two main types of false teeth or dentures: removable partial dentures and full dentures.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are further divided into removable and fixed.
Removable partial dentures are for patients who are missing some of their teeth in either the upper or lower jaw. These dental prosthetics can be taken out to be cleaned thoroughly and put back into the mouth by the patient. They may also be a good alternative for fixed partial dentures, which are better known as “crown and bridge.”
Fixed partial dentures are made from crowns that are fitted on the remaining teeth to act as abutments (on the anchoring teeth) and pontics (which replace the missing teeth) made from materials to resemble the missing teeth. Modern day zirconia and advancement in casting and milling techniques can produce artificial teeth that are barely discernible from the real thing.
Complete Dentures
Conversely, complete dentures or full dentures are worn by patients who are missing all of the teeth in either a single jaw or from both jaws
There are various types of complete dentures.
- A conventional full denture is made and placed in the patient’s mouth after the remaining teeth are removed and tissues have healed which may take several months.
- An immediate complete denture is inserted as soon as the remaining teeth are removed. The dentist will take all the necessary measurements and make models of the patient’s jaws during a preliminary visit. With immediate dentures, the denture wearer does not have to be without teeth during the healing period but the denture will have to be relined after the gums are fully healed for better fit.
How Do You Take Care Of Dentures?
Before we proceed with how to properly care for false teeth, let’s first discuss an important reminder. Please keep in mind that even if you wear full dentures, you still must take good care of your mouth. Brush your gums, tongue and palate every morning with a soft-bristled brush before you insert your dentures to stimulate circulation in your tissues and help remove plaque and prevent inflammation of your gums.
Here are some measures to take in making sure your false teeth are properly taken care of:
- It is important to keep your dentures clean at all times.
- You should remove your dentures at night to give your gums “a rest” and the chance to be exposed to your natural saliva which contains protective antibodies and enzymes which will keep them healthy.
- It is highly recommended that you brush your dentures (toothpaste is optional) and soak them in a glass of water (room temperature is fine as hot water may deform the denture) whilst you are not wearing them.
- After brushing, you can use special cleaning tablets which you can buy from the pharmacy or supermarket to add to the water when you soak your dentures. These denture cleansing tablets can be used regularly and they are excellent for removing stale smells from the denture e.g. from garlic and durian.
- Always brush your dentures before putting them back into your mouth and never soak them in bleach.
If your dentures begin to collect debris or stains that you cannot remove by normal brushing, your dentist or hygienist will be able to professionally clean your dentures for you. Accumulation of dental plaque under the full dentures can sometimes lead to mucositis or inflammation of the supporting gums.
It is therefore important to visit your dentist regularly to ensure that your dentures are in good condition and continue to fit your gums as the shape of your gums and underlying bone can change with time. Loose-fitting dentures can cause irritation and ulceration of your gums and problems with eating and speech.
What Are The Common Problems With Dentures?
Patients who have never worn dentures before will complain of drooling or excessive saliva during the first 2 weeks. This is because the patients are not used to having something in their mouth that is not food. The brain senses this appliance as “food” and sends messages to the salivary glands to produce more saliva and to secrete it at a higher rate. This will subside in a couple of weeks.
New dentures will also be the inevitable cause of sore spots as they rub and compress on the mucosa (denture bearing soft tissue). A few denture adjustments in the weeks following insertion of the dentures can take care of this issue.
Gagging is another problem encountered by some patients. At times, this may be due to a denture that is too loose fitting, too thick or extended too far posteriorly onto the soft palate. At times, gagging may also be attributed to psychological denial of the denture. (psychological gagging is the most difficult to treat since it is out of the dentist’s control. In such cases, an implant-supported denture without extending onto the palate may have to be constructed or a hypnotist may need to be consulted).
As can be expected with any removable appliance placed in the mouth, there will be some problems with dentures no matter how well they are made. This is because the best the dentist can do is fabricate the denture to work in harmony with the opposing teeth or denture when the patient is at rest and set the teeth in certain ways to help prevent dislodgement during opening, closing and swallowing. Once food enters into the picture, though, this fine balance and the stability of the denture bases can be easily disrupted.
Intimate contact between the denture bases with the supporting gums and the margins of any remaining teeth is therefore imperative to create a perfect suction or seal and ideals are rarely if ever met in this imperfect world, and thus some movement is to be expected.
How Long Do Dentures Last?
This depends on many factors including how well you take care of them and also how much you use them in terms of general wear and tear. Over time, dentures can become loose as your gums resorb or shrink and your bite changes. When this happens you may need a new set of dentures or in some cases a simple modification of your existing dentures may solve the problem. As a general guide, you should visit your dentist once a year to service your dentures.
Key Takeaways
Dentures are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, supported by surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. They are primarily used by individuals who have lost several or all of their teeth due to decay, gum disease, or injury, helping to restore functionality and aesthetics. Dentures not only enable proper chewing and speech but also help prevent facial muscles from sagging, thus improving the wearer’s appearance and confidence.
References:
Dentures, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/10900-dentures, Accessed October 1, 2024
Denture care: How do I clean dentures?, https://www.mayoclinic.org/denture-care/expert-answers/faq-20058375, Accessed October 1, 2024
Denture Care and Maintenance, https://www.ada.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/dentures, Accessed October 1, 2024
