Dentures

A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and the surrounding support tissues.  There are two types of dentures available, complete dentures and partial dentures.  Complete dentures are used when all of the teeth are missing, while partial dentures are used when only some of the teeth are missing. 

At Summit Dental Arts we make complete and partial dentures for patients who need their first set, and also for patients who have existing dentures and need new ones.  We also offer options of overdentures, zest anchors, and implant supported dentures to improve the stability of our patients' dentures.  An overdenture is a complete denture placed over teeth that have had root canal therapy.  This option helps to decrease the amount of bone loss the patient will experience since some natural teeth remain in the bone.  Often, we also use zest anchors inside the root canaled teeth to make the denture "snap" into place to provide more security and less movement. 

In some instances, complete dentures can be "immediate," meaning they are placed in the mouth immediately after the teeth have been extracted.  In this case, patients never have to go without teeth. 

Adjusting to a new denture always takes time.  At first your denture may feel strange when you chew or talk, or it may seem to crowd your tongue. Like learning any new skill, with time and practice, you'll make the adjustment.