Dental Implants: Stains, Whitenings and Other Considerations
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Dental Implants: Stains, Whitenings and Other Considerations

Dental implants can make a smile look fabulous – I know I have them. However, if you are just thinking about getting them, you may have a lot of questions. You may be wondering how smoking affects implants, whether or not wine will stain them, if they can be whitened or other concerns. I also know from experience that it can be intimidating to ask some of these questions to your dentist. In my dental implant blog, I am going to answer the questions that can be hard to ask. I hope you find the info you need in this blog and that it guides you to the right decision about dental implants. Thanks for reading!

Dental Implants: Stains, Whitenings and Other Considerations

Are You Over the Way Your Partial Dentures Feel? Consider an Overdenture

Isobel Berry

Are you getting a bit annoyed with your partial dentures? They serve an essential purpose, but they have their drawbacks. Some people might find the fit of their partial dentures to be imperfect, and dentures need to periodically be relined to ensure that they best fit the changing contours of your mouth. However, this doesn't solve all problems related to the fit of your partial dentures and how they feel in your mouth. Is there any way to upgrade your partial dentures?

Your Natural Teeth

You should ask your dentist whether you're a suitable candidate for overdentures. This is still a detachable partial denture, but it makes use of your remaining natural teeth to achieve extra stability. 

Abutments

Instead of your partial denture simply covering the gingival tissue where teeth are missing, an overdenture also fits over the neighbouring natural teeth. It uses these teeth as abutments, allowing for extra stability for the overall denture and allows your natural teeth and the partial denture to work in more unison than if they were two entirely separate components, which creates an even distribution of pressure.

Strong and Healthy

An overdenture might seem like an easy solution to your problem, but it's not a solution for everyone. Not all teeth can be pressed into service as an abutment tooth, and the tooth must be strong and healthy. A decayed or eroded tooth cannot effectively function as an abutment tooth in its current state, but restoration can bring it to an acceptable standard.

Modifications

Even a healthy tooth cannot be an abutment tooth without some modifications specifically for this purpose. The tooth must be resized so that it fits beneath the overdenture, and this involves a section of the tooth's crown being removed. This removal automatically compromises the structure of the tooth, which means that a root canal is generally required. This ensures that the tooth's internal nerve will not become infected once its natural protection has been removed.

Overdenture Margins

Once the necessary work has been successfully completed, the overdenture can be fabricated and fitted. It's still a detachable denture and so will need to be removed overnight, as is the case with any detachable denture. But when it's in your mouth, the fact that its margin extends over your natural teeth and uses these as anchors means that the partial denture will feel far more stable when eating and speaking.

If you're over your partial denture and the way they feel in your mouth, then you might want to discuss overdentures with your dentist. Reach out to a dentist for more information about any denture option. 


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