Removable Partial Dentures

The first step is to design and plan the removable partial denture, similar to a construction blueprint to determine which of your natural teeth are best positioned to stabilize the denture. Some of your teeth will be selected to help support and hold the partial denture in place. These teeth usually require some minor reshaping in order for the partial denture to maintain the health of the tooth, to prevent unwanted tooth movement and to enable the design of a clasp that will be effective in stabilizing the partial denture. Sometimes teeth require fillings or crowns to enable them to adequately support the partial denture. Depending on which teeth are required to stabilize your partial denture and whether these teeth are visible during smiling, talking or laughing, the clasps may be visible. The second step is to complete the needed reshaping, fillings or crowns and to make measurements or molds from which a carefully fitted partial denture metal framework is made. The best colour and size of denture teeth are then selected and attached to the metal framework. The partial denture is usually tried into your mouth so its fit and appearance can be checked as it is being fabricated and before the denture is finished.

If the metal clasps are visible and objectionable, the clasps can be removed but the partial denture would then not likely be as stable. Another alternative is to use crowns with hidden precision attachments (snaps) instead of some clasps, although this will add significant cost.

Without an excellent design and appropriate shaping of some supporting teeth, a removable partial denture will usually have excessive movement, not stay in place and actually cause your natural teeth to move.  Without proper framework design and fit, the partial denture can cause painful pinching of your gum. Removable partial dentures must be carefully made and adjusted so that the framework does not interfere with your bite and the denture teeth bite evenly with your natural teeth.

It is true that at first, removable partial dentures will not feel very natural.  They will certainly feel strange to the tongue, cheek and lips and food definitely tends to collect around them.  Some foods that are particularly hard to chew or sticky are probably best avoided. However, most people get used to a well designed and well fitted partial denture to enjoy the benefits of better appearance, speech, health and reasonable chewing.

Do not expect your general dentist or a denturist to obtain the results routinely obtainable in our prosthodontic specialty office.  General dentists try to stay on top of all the general routine treatments patients need but can’t be expected to be capable of providing specialized treatment.  A denturist is not a doctor or specialist and only completes about a 16 month trade course that allows them to provide a cook book approach to making ‘one style suits all’ dentures.  There are some capable dental specialists in Mexico and elsewhere but always beware of ‘discount dentistry’. An attempt to obtain specialty treatment from those without the appropriate training and experience is likely to create problems and regret.

If your natural teeth are properly maintained, the removable partial denture can last many years but if some teeth deteriorate, move or are lost, this can result in problems or the inability to use your partial denture.  Your remaining natural teeth must of course be thoroughly cleaned once or twice a day, ideally after breakfast and before bed using a soft tooth brush with fluoride tooth paste. Dental floss or other aides need to be used to clean between the teeth.

Because food, plaque, bacteria and mineral deposits stick to dentures it is critical to thoroughly scrub, clean and disinfect your denture every day and desirable to rinse your mouth and denture after each meal.   Clean your denture over a sink full of water or a towel.  If the denture is dropped, it will fall into the water or onto the towel and not chip or break.  Scrub the outside and inside surfaces of the denture using a denture brush. Toothpaste is not good to clean dentures as it is abrasive and will eventually wear the denture.  Use denture cream or regular liquid hand or dishwashing soap.

Your dentures must be disinfected every day to kill bacteria and yeast that are associated with decay, gum disease, mouth infections and odor.  Disinfection, stain and calculus removal is best accomplished by soaking the dentures in ‘Protech’ solution for 15-30 minutes daily, which can be obtained through our office.  Alternatively, either ‘Efferdent’ or ‘Polident’ can be used, which are available from most drug or large food stores but are not as effective at stain and calculus removal. In either case, rinse the denture thoroughly afterward, before letting them soak in water overnight.

It is important to realize that partial dentures do not last forever.  Changes are slowly taking place in the bone and gums under the partial dentures.  Experience shows that most partial dentures need to be refitted to the soft tissues of the mouth, approximately every one to three years, to help maintain stability and a good fit.  When changes within the mouth are more significant such as tooth movements or tooth loss or if the partial denture framework no longer adequately fits the teeth, the dentures will require replacement.  It is important to clean your teeth and partial denture thoroughly every day and have all of your teeth and removable partial denture regularly examined and cleaned.