Last week I met with a patient, Mark, who had recently suffered severe tooth loss in an accident. Mark had lost three teeth, and he was worried about how he could repair his smile as quickly as possible. Mark’s job requires him to work with customers on a regular basis, and he found that with missing teeth he just wasn’t confident speaking to people anymore.

When I mentioned to Mark that our Sullivan dentures dentists may be able to help him he looked surprised. “But Doctor, I still have all of these teeth! How am I supposed to wear dentures?” Mark was thinking of complete dentures—dentures which replace all teeth on the upper or lower jawline—so he didn’t understand how dentures could work from someone wanting to replace three teeth. The truth is there are two types of dentures—partial and complete dentures.

Partial dentures are used when we are replacing teeth but there are still natural teeth along the gumline. Partial dentures are anchored by these natural teeth, allowing them to fit tightly and remain stable in the mouth. Partial dentures also keep natural teeth from shifting in the mouth after tooth loss.

Complete dentures replace all teeth on the upper or lower jaw line. Many of us think of complete dentures when we hear the word “denture,” and Mark was no exception. Complete dentures are custom-fitted to  the gums so that they can stay in place with adhesive.

Mark ended up using partial dentures to replace his missing teeth and he’s thrilled with the results. With a simple partial denture he is now able to smile and speak with ease—some of his customers have even complimented his refreshed smile! If or you someone you know may benefit from partial or complete dentures feel free to give our Sullivan dentures dentists a call to get more information— (573) 321-4008.