If you have unfortunately lost some or all of your teeth, you most likely will want to do a procedure to give your mouth the appearance that you have teeth. You can have a set of dentures made, you can have implants placed, or you could do a combination of the two. Here are some of the choices you have in the types of false teeth you can have placed in your mouth to help you make the decision on which type you would like.

Dentures

To have dentures made, you will need to see your dentist to have an analysis done of your mouth. Your dentist will make a computer-generated model that will show you where your new teeth would be located when you put your dentures in your mouth.

Your dentist will construct a mold from your gum line and you would pick out the color, shape and size of the teeth that will be placed on the denture piece. The information will be sent to a laboratory and it will be constructed off-site. When they come in your dentist will fit them in your mouth.

You will need to use adhesive every once in a while to keep your dentures in place. You may find biting into hard items to be a bit tricky and sometimes you may feel as if your speech is altered from having dentures in your mouth. Overall, they will improve your smile, but you will have to take them out at night to clean them and you may need to remove them once in awhile to rest your gums from soreness.

Implants

Implants are placed in a surgical setting. You will have your gums cut and will have metal rods placed so that the ends will poke out where each tooth had previously been located. The other end will adhere to the bone above your gums.

You will pick out the teeth that you would like to be attached to these rods and they will be custom-made from porcelain. They can be permanently affixed to the rods when they are done being constructed.

Implant dentures allow you the freedom to eat and clean your teeth as if they were your own. You will not feel any pain other than the pain from the surgery. You can enjoy having a realistic-looking smile without your teeth accidentally slipping out of place.

Mini-Implants

Mini-implants are surgically placed to help keep dentures in place. You can have small metal loops installed in your gum line that are used to place your dentures upon. The surgery is less evasive than a regular implant procedure. You would be able to contain your dentures to these loops, making them stay in place easier than with the use of adhesive. You will still need to remove them for cleaning, but you will enjoy knowing that your dentures will stay in place when eating and talking.