Showing off your smile is something we all should be able to do whenever we want. For many people, this is not the reality they live in. If you have lost some or all of your teeth, your smile is not the source of pride it should be. What options do you have when it comes to repairing such a damaged smile? Dentures from Mark W. Wilhelm, DMD, MSD in Woodbury, MN, and the Twin Cities area can help you get the smile you want and restore the function of your mouth. As a prosthodontist, Dr. Wilhelm specializes in restorative treatments like dentures. Find the smile you have always imagined with the help of Dr. Wilhelm’s denture restorations.
What Are Dentures?
Dentures are a trusted option for full arch replacement. Dentures have been around in some form since the ancient Egyptian empire. Some Egyptians would take human teeth and bind them together with gold wire. These attempts are one of the earliest forms of dentures. These early versions, however, were not durable. They would fall apart easily, but they were easy to remake. Ancient Japan created a different version of the denture. Using wood from the Japanese box tree, they created the world’s earliest full dentures. Wooden dentures remained the primary tooth replacement option in Japan all the way into the 19th century.
Modern dentures are a mixture of ceramic or acrylic replacement teeth mounted on a polymer base to resemble the look of your natural teeth and gums. The first use of porcelain in the production of dentures occurred in 1770. From there, dentures have done nothing but evolve into an even more effective and durable tooth replacement option.
What Denture Options Are Available?
Traditional dentures are a set of porcelain or acrylic replacement teeth mounted onto a polymer base. This will give you the look of real teeth on top of real gum tissue, remaking your smile from the ground up.
- Full – For those who need a full arch of teeth replaced, a full denture is an effective option to give you back the use of your smile. Dr. Wilhelm will take X-rays and dental impressions to use for making your new permanent denture restoration. Your denture will be custom made to fit into your mouth and fill your smile. It will take somewhere between 8 to 12 weeks to get your new set of dentures back from the lab. In the interim, Dr. Wilhelm may be able to fit you with a pair of temporary dentures. This will keep you with a set of teeth in your smile until your permanent replacement is ready.
- Partial – Some don’t need to replace all of their teeth, but rather just a few of them. For those, a partial denture is an option to help you get the smile you have been craving. By replacing a selected number of teeth, your partial denture can help you have a great smile, chew food with ease, and speak without reservation to those you meet in public.
- Temporary – This type was mentioned as an option with full dentures. These are made for you to wear while you are waiting for your permanent set of dentures. Temporary dentures are just that – temporary – so they should not be considered a permanent option. The reason for this is that the gums get smaller following the loss of teeth. This will lead to a loose denture fit that will irritate your gums while you wear them. If you wear them too long, you will also have to worry about shifting dentures while you speak or eat.
You may have heard that dental implants are the way to go when you need to replace your teeth. Good news! Dental implants have been integrated into denture treatments and can now help keep your denture right where it should be. Finally, we can offer you the stability and bone protection of dental implants and the convenience of full dental arch replacement from dentures in one treatment.
Implant-Supported – Your dentures will be held in by a bar that runs across your dental implants. Your denture will lock into the bar and stay right where it is supposed to while you talk, eat, and smile.
Implant-Retained – You will have implants inserted into your gumline, and ball attachments are placed on the implants. Your dentures will be custom made with receptacles on the base. These receptacles will snap on to the balls on the implants and hold your denture steady.
Call our office today at 651-319-9064 to schedule your appointment. We here at Mark W. Wilhelm, DMD, MSD will do all we can to give you the smile you have been looking for, or restore the smile you may have lost.
