Complete Denture

Complete dental prostheses, or in other words, total dental prostheses, are applied in cases where a person has lost all the teeth in their mouth as a result of trauma, decay, or osteoporosis (bone resorption). They are removable prostheses seated on the lower and upper jaw, taking support from soft tissues. A complete dental prosthesis is applied to people who have no natural teeth and cannot perform chewing and speaking functions. Good chewing function is of great importance for the digestion of nutrients. Complete dental prostheses ensure the regaining of chewing and speaking functions. Besides this, they allow you to achieve an aesthetic appearance. Therefore, complete dental prostheses are one of the most important applications in dentistry. Specialist Dentist Emin Serhat Arıkan, serving patients in Adana, explained for you what a complete dental prosthesis is and in which situations it is applied.

What Is a Total (Complete Dental) Prosthesis?

Complete dental prostheses are a solution applied for patients who have lost all their teeth. It aims to compensate for lost teeth, regain chewing and speaking functions, and enable the patient to achieve an aesthetic appearance.

What Are the Stages of Making Complete Dental Prostheses (Total Prostheses)?

First Examination - primarily, an initial examination is performed in complete dental prosthesis treatment, and treatment planning is prepared. At this stage, the dentist analyzes the patient's general health status. They obtain information about the cause of the patient's tooth losses. During this evaluation, the patient's needs are identified, and the most suitable treatment planning is carried out.

Impression Taking and Modeling – Taking an impression carries great importance for the prosthesis to adapt to the mouth in the most accurate way. The dentist meticulously takes measurements that will harmonize with the patient's oral structure. During the modeling stage, care is taken to ensure the prosthesis meets the patient's needs in terms of function and aesthetics.

Prosthesis Construction and Fit Adjustment – The prosthesis, produced in laboratory conditions, is subjected to some special procedures to adapt to the patient's oral structure. The color and form of the prosthesis are planned. As a result of all these studies, the prosthesis needs to provide ease of use and look natural.

Trial and Final Check – After the preparation of the prosthesis, final rehearsals are done. It is checked whether the prosthesis fits (seats) in the patient's mouth. What is important at this stage is for the patient to use the teeth comfortably and meet their expectations in terms of aesthetics.

To Whom Are Total Prostheses Applied?

If losses of teeth, gums, and alveolar bone are in question, a total prosthesis application may be needed. A complete dental prosthesis is preferred in cases where all natural teeth are completely lost. The patient's chewing and speaking functions and aesthetic appearance are regained. Being able to perform the chewing function carries great importance in terms of digestion. Otherwise, the occurrence of different health problems becomes inevitable.

The aesthetic and natural appearance of the prosthesis is as important as regaining the chewing function.

Usage of Complete Dental Prostheses (Total Prostheses)

When you start using a complete dental prosthesis, it is normal to feel like there is a large and foreign object in your mouth and to feel discomfort in the early times. A sensation of fullness is experienced in the cheeks and lips in the initial periods. No matter how thin the prosthesis is made, the user feels fullness during the adaptation period. Lower prostheses move more and may even dislodge. Adapting to the lower prosthesis is much more difficult and takes a longer time for the patient compared to the upper prosthesis. An increase in saliva secretion may be experienced in the first days due to the stimulation of the glands. However, this situation is temporary. It disappears over time. Sore spots (pressure spots) may occur due to the contact of the prostheses with the soft tissue. This is a normal and inevitable situation. For this, control appointments should be attended at intervals specified by the dentist, and corrections should be made to the prosthesis. The patient should not try to remove the sore spots themselves. Otherwise, existing problems will grow even more. To eliminate sore spots, the prosthesis must be used for at least eight hours before going to the dentist. In this way, the doctor can see the location of the sore spots better. Within a few weeks, the tissues in the mouth adapt to the prosthesis, and these problems decrease and disappear.

Maintenance of Complete Dental Prostheses (Total Prostheses)

Regular maintenance must be applied for complete dental prostheses to be used for a longer time and to maintain their hygiene. Prostheses should be cleaned every day using a soft brush and denture cleaner. Also, the prosthesis should be removed before sleeping at night and kept in a clean container. Due care should be shown to intraoral hygiene, and gums should be cleaned regularly.

Complying with the instructions given by your dentist and not neglecting these maintenance practices extends the service life of the prosthesis and also helps you protect your oral health. The discomfort felt in lips and cheeks during the first use may increase even more during biting and chewing processes. However, it should not be forgotten that all these negativities are normal and will pass over time. Using soft brushes while cleaning your prosthesis prevents the prosthesis from wearing out over time. When you neglect cleaning, hygienic problems may be experienced, and a risk of infection may occur. It is wrong to use normal toothpaste or clean the prosthesis with boiling water.

Control of Complete Dental Prostheses (Total Prostheses)

In the complete dental prosthesis treatment process, the patient must definitely go to dentist check-ups regularly. The dentist organizes control appointments at certain periods to detect all potential problems and possible discomforts that may occur during the use of the prosthesis. Thanks to these controls, complete dental prostheses can be used for a much longer time and in a healthy way.

In Which Situations Is a Complete Dental Prosthesis (Total Dental Prosthesis) Used?

A complete dental prosthesis is used in people experiencing edentulism (toothlessness). However, some criteria must be met for total prostheses to be applied. If we need to list these criteria:

• The patient must definitely have lost all their teeth.
• The patient's jawbone density needs to be suitable for prosthesis treatment.
• The patient should not have an intraoral allergy.
• Finally, the patient should not experience advanced jawbone deformation.
• Different treatment alternatives should be evaluated for patients who cannot meet these criteria.

Can an Aesthetic Appearance Be Achieved with Complete Dental Prostheses?

It is possible to ensure oral and dental aesthetics with complete dental prostheses. It is normal to feel volume and fullness in the mouth within the first weeks after the insertion of the prosthesis. Over time, prostheses harmonize with the mouth and tissue. Then, the use of prostheses becomes easier for the patient. Although patients have difficulty to a certain extent while inserting and removing them in the initial period, this also disappears after a while. Complying with the dentist's suggestions and instructions facilitates this process. To summarize, it is possible to obtain an aesthetic appearance with a complete dental prosthesis.

What Kind of Problems Are Experienced While Using Complete Dental Prostheses (Total Prostheses)?

There are some factors affecting the retention feature of complete dental prostheses. Among the potential problems that can be experienced while using prostheses, there are many anatomical factors such as gum health, jaw structure, and jawbone recession. At this stage, factors such as the quality of the prosthesis and the material preferred also directly affect the retention of the prostheses.

Total prostheses take support from the tissue and are mobile. Especially the lower palate having less volume compared to the upper palate and the presence of the tongue in the lower jaw make the lower prosthesis much more mobile compared to the upper prosthesis. One of the complaints patients experience most is "my upper palate holds, but my lower palate constantly moves." Due to this mobility, sore spots can frequently occur in the mouth. All these problems can be solved by going to control appointments and making the necessary revisions.