Partial Dentures

Replacement of Missing Teeth

It is important to replace lost teeth to preserve your dental health. If a missing permanent tooth is not replaced, over time, surrounding teeth will move and shift into the empty space.

In some cases, such as wisdom teeth or orthodontic extractions, strategically creating more space in the mouth in this way is actually helpful. With most permanent teeth, however, this process can eventually lead to poor tooth alignment and bite problems.
Unplanned tooth loss is frequently an underlying cause of gum disease, decreased jaw bone support, tooth fractures, jaw dysfunction and eventually, loss of additional teeth.

Removable Partial Dentures

Unlike complete dentures, which replace all of the missing teeth in an arch, partial dentures are oral appliances that use artificial teeth affixed to a metal or acrylic plastic framework to fill in spaces created by missing teeth. This helps prevent other teeth from moving or shifting out of position.

Partial dentures have clasps that attach to the crowns of remaining teeth to hold the appliance in place.
One or more dental implants may be recommended to provide attachment(s) to help stabilize the partial. Dental implants replace the tooth roots of missing teeth, and can be restored with a special connection to fit the partial denture and anchor it securely in place.

Our goal is to preserve natural tooth structure whenever possible. At each visit, Dr. Hooper meets with each patient personally to talk about their current oral health condition and will review restorative options if required. If a partial denture is necessary, he will work closely with our dental laboratory to design an appliance to create a natural-looking result.

Are you looking for a solution to replace missing teeth? Contact us to schedule a consultation with Dr. Hooper and learn more about rebuilding your smile.