False teethFalse teeth types

False teeth is a common term used by patients to describe any type of artificial teeth that used to replace a extracted or missed natural tooth. Unfortunately false teeth is not scientific term and it is not describing a definite type of treatment. So the aim of this article is to describe the different types of false teeth, Advantages and disadvantaged of each also which type  is fit best with your needs. So when you search the internet or speak with your dentist you can be more specific in exactly what type  you mean.

Scientifically artificial (or false teeth)  teeth are classified to these categories:

1-Crown(cap) and bridges

2-partial dentures

3-complete dentures

4-Teeth implants

we will discuss each type of false teeth in details

1- complete dentures:

Complete dentures is the form of false teeth that used when the patient had a completely teeth free ( edentulous ) jaw ( upper or lower ).  It is composed of a plate of plastic ( polymer ) or metal. That is accurately fitting the edentulous jaw surface .Mounted on this base a complete set of teeth that made of plastic,  cross linked resin or even porcelain.  Its retention in place is based on the suction between the base plastic or metal plate and the mucosa (mouth mucosa is like the skin in the rest of the body) covering the edentulous jaw bone (like the suction rubber piece that used to hang thing on a glass wall). The success of the denture depend basically on the surface area of the mucosa covering the jaw bone because when there is a large area of healthy mucosa the denture will be more retentive and also the mastication force will be fragmented over a large area which will make the denture live longer without the need to make adjustments.

How will your dentist fabricate your denture false teeth:

first the dentist have to examine you very carefully, extract any remaining teeth or roots .

Then the dentist will make what we call impression may be one or two impressions for each jaw. Impression aim is to fabricate a accurate hard model of the area that will be covered with the denture to start fabricating the denture false teeth on that hard model. The dentist will put a doughy material in your mouth after minute this doughy material will be transformed  to rubber like form that will act as a template to cast a model on later. sometimes we need another impression with a different material to get accurate results. (1-2 visits)

Later the dentist will register the relation between upper and lower jaws by ordering you to bite on wax blocks fitted on a temporary base plate. or using an appliance called facebow  .(1 visit)

Then you will try the temporary base plate  with the teeth on it.(1 visit )

If the try in was ok you will deliver your denture  in the next visit.

Advantages, disadvantages and options of dentures:

Speaking about advantages and disadvantages of complete denture  is really wasting of time. If you have edentulous jaw then you have to make a denture (unless you are really wealthy and will make a full mouth implants )  or your stomach will be affected by digesting a hard food.  Other choice is very very expensive because you will have to make a full mouth implants witch will coast you a fortune and i don’t think that any insurance company will cover it.

There is also a modified type of denture false teeth that can be really great and function far bitter than the ordinary dentures. It called the implant supported full dentures, In this case we fix the denture to titanium fixtures (posts) that is implanted inside the jaw bones.  The fixation between the denture and the fixture is in the form of pall and socket or any other way of fixation that allow the removal and  replacement of the denture so you can clean the false teeth wash your mouth perfectly and putting the denture back again. This type of dentures is much more retentive than the ordinary dentures but also it is much more expensive simply you pay for extra 4 implants at least.

Materials used to fabricate dentures :

denture base:

is usually fabricated using different types of resin polymers that vary in strength or quality depending on the coast you pay. Also some dentists prefer the use of metallic denture base because it is stronger ,cleaner and if fabricated properly can be more retentive . metallic denture base coast more than plastic ones.

denture  teeth:

teeth are usually made of resins that differ in abrasion resistance, strength and aesthetic  according to the coast the cheap false teeth is abraded by time which cause the denture not to masticate food properly also look bad and unnatural.

sometimes we use porcelain teeth for the sake of aesthetics and durability. But we have to say that it also heavy, produce unpleasant sound  when hit each others and also very expensive.

How to clean and take care of denture false teeth:

1-brush your denture with tooth paste and tooth brush 2-3 times daily

2-If any food came under the denture remove the denture and clean any food remnants to keep your gums healthy.

3-Use specific denture cleaners every 2 days to clean, disinfect and remove the stains from the denture(we use GSK polident eff. tablets here in Egypt ). All you have to do is to put the denture in glass of water and put one cleaning tablet into the water the water will start to bubble and you can take your false teeth after 3 min .

4-After using the denture for a period of time ranging from 1 year to 8-10 years the denture will become loose and will need to be relined by the dentist to maintain its retention. Once you feel that the denture is not fixed and become loose go directly to your dentist and fix it ant delay can cause gum wounds ,discomfort or even bone resorption   that will cause the fixation harder.

5-don’t sleep with your denture you should store it in water or any specialized denture saline overnight till the morning. If you left the denture to dry this will make it cracked and loose its strength.

2- removable partial dentures:

The partial denture is a form of false teeth similar to the complete denture that we explained above. The difference is that the partial denture is used when the patient has remaining healthy teeth along with extracted teeth edentulous spaces. We just add false teeth in the edentulous places and create an openings in the denture base in the places where the natural teeth present.  This type of dentures retention is depending on metallic clasps that present on the healthy teeth which retain the denture in place during function. we use metallic base for this type of false teeth dentures except in the very economic type that have a acrylic base.

How will your dentist fabricate your partial denture false teeth:

The process is similar to the fabrication of the complete denture that we explained above. The only difference is that the dentist sometimes need to make some preparations in the existing natural teeth so the denture can come in place without interference from the natural teeth. Also we have to say that this type of dentures is more retentive and function bitter  than the full dentures so if you can survive 4-5 teeth in each jaw to retain a partial denture it is much more bitter.

Advantages, disadvantages and options of removable partial  denture :

If you have an edentulous space  that extend to the end of the jaw posteriorly or in other words when you have an extracted tooth or teeth with no molars behind them the partial dentures will be the best economic option you have. If you can pay more money you can make implant to restore the extracted teeth but making fixed bridges will not be possible in this case. The bridge should GENERALLY be fixed from both sides. There are types of bridges that can be fixed from one side using non rigid fixation or what we call semi rigid fixation  but this type will coast more and it is not good for every case.

What if you have natural teeth present behind the edentulous space here you got many options that i can list fixed bridges, implants and partial dentures, so how can you choose between them?? If i want to restore an extracted tooth for my self i would prefer implant because the neighboring teeth won’t be reduced and i don’t have the burden of removing and cleaning a partial denture false teeth , if i cant pay for implant or don’t like the surgery solutions then good looking porcelain fixed bridge can be a satisfactory solution for me here after a short period you won’t feel that it is a false teeth you will just feel like your teeth. The only disadvantage of the fixed bridge solution is that the neighboring teeth have to be trimmed ( about 1-2 mm from each side) with the risk of harming one of them.

What if can’t pay even for the bridge, I don’t want my healthy neighboring teeth to be trimmed or i don’t like the dentist working for a long time inside my mouth then  the last good solution is making a partial denture. It is cheap, no reduction of teeth,no surgery and also function well and can be good looking.

We also have to say that in many cases your dentist decide for you, May be some of the previous solutions are not possible you or the case favor one of them over the other. For example if the teeth crowns are very short you can’t make a fixed bridge false teeth or you may need a preoperative surgery that you may refuse , If you have a uncontrolled diabetes or osteoporosis the implant will probably fail, The oral hygiene also is  determining  factor  etc

Materials used to fabricate partial denture :

here we use almost the same materials that i explained above with the complete denture except we generally use metallic denture base with this type of false teeth instead of the acrylics we use usually with the complete dentures. We have to say that some patient ask for a very economic partial dentures and in this cases we use full acrylic partial denture which is really inferior in performance and biocompatibility.

How to clean and take care of denture false teeth:

The same rules that we explained before will fit here.We will just add a very important tip

The natural teeth that is located near the clasps of the partial denture has a very high susceptibility to decay so the patient have to give extra care to clean natural teeth present beside the removable denture (sure after removing the false teeth )

3-False teeth in the form of fixed bridges and teeth caps :

The fixed bridge is a form of false teeth that is bounded to the neighboring teeth that present beside the missed tooth or teeth. There is many types of dental bridges but generally teeth bridges is formed of metals, ceramics or both together (a metal frame covered by a tooth colored ceramic to look like a natural tooth ) . let’s say that we have tooth need to be restored with a false teeth. The final fabricated crown will be in the form of three unites, A cap to cover the tooth anterior to the missing another cap to cover the posteriors tooth  to the missing and the false tooth that will replace the missing one in the middle. Three unites are casted together without soldering to give the highest accuracy and strength . The neighboring teeth should be healthy enough to carry the extra load  with good formed roots healthy gums also not very short to guarantee the success of this form of false teeth

How will your dentist fabricate your fixed bridge false teeth:

There is many types and techniques in fixed dentures fabrication we will discuss here the most classic type sure there is ton of new advances in this industry so the steps will vary from clinic to clinic

1-Fist you will examined carefully may be an x-ray will be taken to check on the tooth roots and pulp.

2-May be Primary impression well  be done to send it to the lap to fabricate a temporarily crowns( or cap) to cover the teeth after trimming till the lab finish the bridge final false teeth (some dentists prefer to perform this step in the clinic without impression using special materials).

3-then in the next visit the dentist start to trim or prepare the neighboring teeth after anesthesia. THE teeth will become very small don’t panic it is normal once you decided to make a bridge the final result is the most important.

4-Then the final impression is made,  the dentist choose the color of the new false teeth , register your bite and finally cement the temp crowns and send the impression back to the lap to fabricate the final false teeth bridge.

5-in the last visit the dentist will replace the temp crowns with the new final bridge.

some high level dentists will use a system called cad cam which is a computerized system. this system will finish the whole process in a single short visit.

Advantages, disadvantages and options of fixed bridges:

read the previous section in the partial denture we explained this before.

Materials used to fabricate fixed bridge :

full Metal false teeth , full ceramic false teeth or combination of both in the form of metal body covered with a ceramic  layer to give the natural shape of the tooth

Full metallic is the strongest, cheapest but bad looking(sliver color).It can be used in posterior teeth.

Ceramic fused to metal has a medium strength medium coast and also medium aesthetics(can be acceptable in many conditions)

Full ceramic has the greatest aesthetic, the most expensive and the least strength.  (the new types of full ceramics is really strong )

How to clean and take care of fixed bridge:

Here is the great part of the story .Just treat it as any normal tooth brush regularly, use mouth wash from time to time, don’t bite on hard objects and that’s all last thing when you feel anything call your dentist.