Denture Blog

Partial Dentures in Surrey-Are My Last Few Teeth Worth Saving?

Dentures are one of the most affordable solutions to tooth loss or decay. What do you do when you still have a few or more healthy, natural teeth?

While it may be tempting to remove healthy teeth to make way for a complete set of dentures, most dentists regard tooth extraction as a last resort. Instead, your dentist may recommend partial dentures as a more conservative approach. Here’s why partial dentures are frequently suggested for patients in Surrey who still have some of their natural teeth.

You’re Natural Teeth Support Continued Oral Health

Your natural teeth aren’t just there for looks; they play an important role in your overall oral health, particularly when it comes to facial structure and jawbone density. Teeth provide stimulation and essential support for your jawbone and facial tissue. With each tooth lost (or removed), structural support begins to deteriorate; over time, this may result in jawbone resorption (shrinkage).

While dentures and partial dentures help provide some stimulation to your jawbone through actions like eating and chewing, nothing compares to natural teeth. The more natural teeth you have in place, the more support you have for your jawbone, which will help limit jaw resorption.

Natural Teeth Provide an Anchor for Partial Dentures

Not only do natural teeth support jawbone health, but they also act as an anchor for your partial dentures, helping prevent uncomfortable slippage. Traditional complete sets of dentures are held in place through suction; partial dentures use existing teeth as anchors for the dental appliance, helping to keep the partial denture in place.

You’re on a Budget

Another benefit of leveraging healthy teeth to accommodate partial dentures is the cost. Compared to conventional full dentures or implant-supported tooth replacement options like full or partial dentures and bridges, partial dentures in Surrey are much more affordable.

If your dental professional deems your remaining teeth healthy enough, you could save thousands not extracting your remaining teeth.

When It’s Best to Extract Remaining Teeth

Despite the benefits of keeping your natural teeth, partial dentures aren’t right for everyone; sometimes, your natural teeth may not be worth saving.

Advanced Tooth Decay

If your remaining teeth are in poor health, it may be time to consider having them removed. Teeth in advanced stages of oral decay are unsuitable anchors for partial dentures, and the potential for infection could also jeopardize your health.

You Want Full Implant Dentures

Implant-supported dentures offer denture wearers a permanent solution to tooth loss. Unlike conventional dentures, implant-supported dentures are not taken out at home, and of all the tooth replacement options, they most closely resemble the look and feel of natural teeth. If you are considering this type of denture, it would require extraction of any remaining teeth.

As an option, however, you may want to consider an implant-supported bridge or partial denture, depending on the health and number of teeth you have remaining.

Stress on Your Natural Teeth Might be too Much

If you only have a few natural teeth remaining and are considering a partial denture option, know that the stress from eating, chewing, and talking might be too much for them to bare. Over time, your remaining teeth may become damaged enough that they need to be removed anyway, and you’ll be stuck purchasing a new denature.