I am in the unfortunate position of losing my upper teeth left and right. Soon, I will be down to just the two front ones. Here is where my dilemma is. Should I keep these two front teeth, which seem to be in pretty good shape and get two different removable partial dentures or should I remove them and get complete dentures? I understand natural teeth are better so I’ve spoken to a couple of dentists about this and they both said opposite things. My removable dentures are driving me crazy so I am hoping getting a complete denture will fix that. As it is I am having to remove the partials when I want to eat. What is best in this situation?
Arnold
Dear Arnold,
I am glad you wrote. Please know that while I can give you some general guidance here, without seeing your x-rays or examining you I can’t give a definitive answer. Take my word in generalities.
A general principle is that it is better to keep all the natural teeth that you possibly can as they are better in the long run. However, you are in a unique circumstance. You have two natural teeth and you said they seem fine. Maybe they are, but eating on just those two teeth will cause them to deteriorate quickly from the stress.
In all honesty, complete upper dentures will be a smidge more secure because they are held in by suction. However, they may still move around. One thing you could do is to get implant-supported dentures. They will completely secure your upper teeth and the ideal solution.
This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.
