American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [797]
Full denture
Full dentures are used when all of the teeth are missing. A full upper denture is held in place by suction to the roof of the mouth; a lower denture rests on the gum ridge.
Partial denture
Partial dentures are used to fill gaps when some of the teeth are missing. Partial dentures are usually held in place by attaching them to healthy teeth that are adjacent to the gap.
People who wear dentures should remove and clean them every day to promote good oral health and allow the gum tissues to rest. Dentures can be cleaned with a denture cleanser or with ordinary toothpaste and a toothbrush designed for cleaning dentures. People who wear dentures also should continue to see a dentist regularly so that he or she can monitor the condition of the mouth and gums, evaluate the dentures for continued good fit, and reduce the risk of denture problems (see page 1113). Poorly fitting dentures can cause chronic irritation and inflammation, which can lead to oral cancer (see page 747).
Nightguards
Nightguards are hard, transparent pieces of plastic that fit over the upper or lower biting surfaces of the teeth. Nightguards help prevent damage to the teeth caused by bruxism (clenching and grinding of the teeth, usually during sleep) or help relieve earaches, jaw aches, and headaches that can result from poorly aligned teeth (see page 1106) or temporomandibular disorder (see page 1005). To make a nightguard, a dentist takes impressions of the upper and lower teeth to make models of the teeth, from which a nightguard is made. The dentist makes the final adjustments to the nightguard in the person’s mouth to make sure that it fits properly. For a nightguard to be effective, a person must wear it every night while sleeping. To clean a nightguard, soak it in a solution of denture cleanser according to package directions.
Implants
Implants can be used to replace one or more teeth without using neighboring teeth for support. To insert an implant, an oral surgeon cuts through the gum tissue where the tooth is missing to expose the bone beneath the gum. He or she then drills a hole into the bone and places a tiny titanium post into the hole and covers it with gum tissue. In about 6 months, after the tissue has healed, the oral surgeon cuts the gum and exposes the top of the post. Implants act as roots to which a dentist can securely attach crowns or bridges without using adjacent teeth. Because dentures that are attached to implants are more stable than traditional dentures, they make talking and eating much easier.
Dental implant
A dental implant is a tiny metal post that is implanted surgically into the jawbone to act as a root for a crown or bridge.
Missing Teeth
Teeth may be missing for a number of reasons. Sometimes permanent teeth do not come in after a child’s primary teeth (baby teeth) come out. In adults, teeth are lost usually from decay or injury. A tooth also may be missing in an adult if the tooth has failed to develop, which occurs most often with the upper teeth, the incisors, the premolars, and the third molars (wisdom teeth). Also, the teeth may be impacted (blocked under the gum, usually because of overcrowding), which prevents them from emerging through the gum. The teeth that are most often impacted are the upper canines, premolars, and wisdom teeth.
Even one missing molar can cause problems. For example, when you chew, your jaw moves from side to side and up and down. If a molar fits into an empty space in the row of teeth above or below it, your jaw will not move easily from side to side. Because this condition can prevent you from chewing properly, your dentist will probably