Dentures – Newbury Park, CA

Who's a Good Candidate for Dentures?

Nearly everyone with missing teeth can be an excellent candidate for dentures, but the first step to receiving these amazing restorations is scheduling a consultation With Dr. Chaffee at our Newbury Park office so he can evaluate your oral health and determine the best way to replace your lost teeth. If you’re not ready for dentures yet, you may be able to become an excellent candidate after restoring your oral health with gum disease therapy or other treatments. Here’s a brief guide to what you’ll need to qualify for a gorgeous and functional set of dentures.

Effects of Missing Teeth

Tooth loss is frequently caused by factors such as injury, infection, age, and genetic conditions, and it can lead to a range of oral health issues such as chewing problems, difficulty speaking, gum injuries, dental misalignments, and new oral infections. Tooth loss can also diminish a person’s self-esteem and make them less eager to engage socially or smile at friendly gatherings.

What Qualifies You for Dentures?

Dentures can be a fantastic way to address extensive tooth loss, extreme dental sensitivity, or severely decayed teeth if the patient has healthy gums and jawbones. Patients who receive dentures must also commit to excellent oral hygiene and appliance maintenance habits to keep their restorations and their mouths in great shape.

The best type of denture for you depends on how many teeth you are missing. Partial dentures are great for those who are missing one, a few, or many teeth throughout their mouths, and full dentures can replace complete arches of missing teeth. If you are looking for a way to make your dentures stronger and longer lasting, securing them with dental implants may allow you to exert maximum chewing power and prevent jawbone erosion. Dentures are often more affordable than other prosthetic dental devices, which makes them excellent for patients on a budget.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

Dentures aren’t for everyone, and we offer several other ways to replace lost teeth with lifelike and functional restorations. These include:

• Dental bridges: A bridge consists of one or several artificial teeth supported by two dental crowns or implants, and they can replace a single tooth or a few teeth in a row. A patient receiving a bridged will need either healthy teeth at either end of the gap to support the dental crowns or adequate jawbone mass to support dental implants.

Dental implants: Consisting of a titanium post surgically placed in the jawbone and a lifelike restoration anchored to it, a dental implant can allow the patient to exert maximum chewing force. This option is more costly than traditional dentures and requires patients to have healthy gums and jawbones, but it is permanent.

Types of Dentures

Does an entire arch need to be replaced, or are there still some teeth that can be kept? Is there enough bone density in the jaw for dental implants? These are a couple of the questions that we’ll need to find the answers to in order to figure out which type of denture you should get. When we make a recommendation, we’ll always take the time to explain the advantages and disadvantages of the available options.

Partial Dentures

If there are one or more gaps in your smile, a partial denture can be customized to fit into them seamlessly in order to replace all the teeth that have been lost. You can take a traditional partial denture out of your mouth at any time; when you wear it, it will be attached to your natural teeth using clasps.  

Full Dentures

Some cases of tooth loss are more severe than others, to the point where an entire arch is missing. With full dentures, it’s possible to replace one or both rows of teeth all at once. Like partial dentures, traditional full dentures are made to be removable; however, they rely on suction rather than clasps to stay in their proper position.

Implant Dentures

Dental implants are very versatile and can be used to replace any number of teeth. Some of the advantages of attaching dentures to dental implants include giving your newly restored smile more stability and preventing bone loss in your jaw.

The Benefits of Dentures

Dentures allow you to rebuild your bite, which helps improve speech and makes chewing easier. They can be fully personalized for your unique smile, and they tend to be easy to clean. On average, a denture will normally last around 7 to 10 years before you need to get a new one.