Dentures and Partials

There are many types of removable appliances. Some are to replace missing teeth, some help prevent patients from bruxism, others to protect athlete’s teeth, and still others to aid with sleep apnea. Our office works together with our dental laboratory to find the appliance that best suits your individual situation.

Dentures

Dentures are for those patients that have had all their teeth removed, for whatever the reason. A denture can be constructed before the anterior teeth are removed, and then placed the day of the extractions, this is called an immediate denture. These dentures generally need to be relined after approximately 6 months. Another type of denture is constructed approximately 6-8 weeks after the removal of all the teeth, after the tissue has been allowed to shrink and heal. Our office does both types of dentures, that is up to you and your doctor to decide which is right for you.

A removable denture is for a patient that has several teeth missing on one arch, and can be constructed for either functional or aesthetic reasons. If a patient has other teeth that may need extraction over the next several years, sometimes a partial denture is constructed so that the teeth can be added on as teeth are removed.

Night guards

Night guards, or bruxism appliances, helps prevent patients from grinding or clenching their teeth at night. This is also a removable appliance that is just worn during sleep hours. It separates the teeth and helps relax the muscles which position the jaw.

Mouthguards

Many athletes wear mouthguards when they are participating in their sport. Some sports require that a mouthguard be worn, while others do it to protect their smiles.

Other appliances

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Sleep apnea can also result in snoring, and patients often complain of drowsiness, irritability and lack of focus during the day, which can all be attributed to not getting a good night’s sleep. There are special appliances that can be constructed that position the jaw so that snoring is eliminated. Our doctors are more than willing to take the time to discover which type of appliance would work best for you.