Our Services Dentures
Full Dentures
A full denture replaces a full arch of teeth. Traditional full dentures are removable and rely solely on your gums to hold them in place and for support while chewing. Unfortunately, patients must frequently rely on adhesives to hold the denture in place. However, new advancements have allowed practitioners to anchor your full denture using dental implants.
While nothing can perfectly replace your natural teeth, new advancements in denture technology have made dentures more comfortable and stable than ever before.
Removable Partial Dentures
Ocean Springs Dental also offers removable partial dentures for areas of your mouth where some teeth have been lost or extracted and some healthy teeth remain. Partials are held in place by metal or plastic clasps that affix to those surrounding teeth. Implants can also be incorporated into the design to improve the function and comfort of the removable partial denture.
Removable partial dentures serve as an alternative to fixed partial dentures (bridges) or dental implants. They can help to restore esthetics and function to areas with several missing teeth.
Implants and Dentures
A very common complaint among denture wearers is that the denture moves, or floats. This is an extremely frequent complaint, particularly regarding mandibular, or lower, dentures. A floating denture makes it difficult for the wearer to function, and can be a source of significant embarrassment. Other common complaints are that the denture feels bulky, causes gagging, covers the roof of the mouth, and makes speaking difficult. Fortunately, dental implants can now be used to anchor partial and full dentures. This helps to alleviate many of the problems people have with their dentures.
The implant retained denture is similar to a normal denture, except that it contains clips that allow it to attach to implants which are placed in the jaw bone. This allows the denture to be held firmly in place by the implants and prevents to denture from floating. The pressure placed on the denture teeth during chewing is still supported by the underlying gum tissue. Implant retained dentures are removable and are unsnapped and taken out of the mouth for cleaning.
The highest level of care Dr. Hendrix is able to provide to patients who desire removable dentures are implant supported dentures, which provide an even higher level of comfort for the patient. The implant supported denture is similar to the implant retained denture except more implants and clips are utilized. This allows the chewing forces to be fully supported by the implants and avoids any stress being placed on the gums. Implant supported dentures are extremely stable and patients are typically able to function just as if they had natural teeth.
In addition to supporting and stabilizing your denture teeth, implants can help stabilize and maintain your bone levels. Natural tooth roots and dental implant posts are fixed firmly in your jawbone. When you chew, these tooth roots and posts stimulate the jawbone and prevent it from shrinking. You may have seen a person who looked prematurely old because their jawbone had shrunk after wearing floating dentures. Dental implants help preserve your jawbone and appearance.
