235 North Northwest Highway
Palatine, IL 60067
William J Holevas Ltd
1209 Dundee Ave
Elgin, IL, 60120-2256
Johnson, Michael D D.D.S.
2090 Larkin Ave # 1
Elgin, IL, 60123-5845
Smiles Of Elgin Pc
860 Summit St Ste 134
Elgin, IL, 60120
(847) 695-3368
Chu, Felicia D.D.S.
750 Fletcher Dr # 302
Elgin, IL, 60123-4756
In the past, false teeth made with porcelain were generally preferred over false teeth made from plastic due to their greater durability and esthetics. However, in recent years, new generation biomaterials have resulted in the development of very wear-resistant false teeth made from plastic.
Clinically, the esthetics of plastic and porcelain denture teeth is nearly comparable, with good quality false teeth made from porcelain still being the standard for esthetics. However, the majority of dentures today probably are fabricated with false teeth made from plastic. For all practical purposes, the cost of porcelain and false teeth made from plastic are about the same.
While porcelain and plastic teeth are competitive with regards to durability, and to a lesser extent, esthetics and wear, there are other factors that may favor the selection of one type of tooth over another.
Denture bite (called occlusion) changes due to the constantly changing jawbone (called alveolar bone) upon which a denture rests, and, to varying degrees, uneven tooth wear resulting from use. Unless a denture is evaluated and its occlusion adjusted to a uniform and even contact (called balanced bite or balanced occlusion) at regular intervals, denture occlusion will become unbalanced.
Since false teeth made from porcelain are more wear-resistant, their occlusion will not become significantly self-altered by wear, as will false teeth made from plastic. However, when alveolar bone changes cause an unbalanced occlusion, the resulting biting forces from false teeth made from porcelain will be unevenly transmitted to underlying supporting alveolar bone. Frequent tissue refitting of the denture usually eliminates or lessens this problem.
Porcelain denture teeth tend to transmit the impact of biting forces to the alveolar ridge with greater intensity than that transmitted by plastic teeth in an unbalanced tooth contact situation. Some practitioners are of the opinion that this greater force, especially when uneven as in an unbalanced occlusion, may be damaging to the alveolar ridges and could result in accelerated bone loss.
Therefore, unless denture occlusion is checked and balanced on a regular basis, false teeth made from plastic would probably be a preferred choice over false teeth made from porcelain.
If a person has lost a great deal of supporting alveolar bone and their gum tissue is not of a sturdy type, then plastic denture teeth might be a better choice. These teeth are more forgiving of excessive forces developing from habits such as clenching, grinding, and tapping or "clacking" of teeth, which seems to be more prevalent among older individuals. Plastic teeth do not transmit forces to underlying bone as intensely as false teeth made from porcelain.
If false teeth made from porcelain are vigorously used or sometimes habitually tapped together, a "clacking" sound can be heard. Plastic teeth will muffle this sound and be quiet during normal function or habit jaw motions (called parafunction).
If a person has been successfully wearing dentures with false teeth made from porcelain, then they should probably continue with false teeth made from porcelain. These teeth will not wear as fast as false teeth made from plastic, and the relationship between upper and lower jaws will tend to stay normal for a longer time than with false teeth made from plastic.
Regardless of which type of tooth is selected, the success of the selection is strongly based upon regularly checking dentures for proper balanced occlusion and fit on regular intervals.
If a denture is going to be worn against opposing natural teeth, then false teeth made from plastic should be selected because false teeth made from porcelain, being harder, could excessively wear natural teeth away.
After a thorough examination and frank discussion of what a person wants from wearing a denture, a licensed dentist can effectively discuss which type of tooth would best meet a particular individual's unique needs and desires.
Because false teeth made from porcelain are extremely hard in comparison to false teeth made from plastic, they tend to chip and crack more easily. For this reason, when dentures having false teeth made from porcelain are brushed and cleaned, they are generally handled over a sink filled with water or over a towel. Should the denture accidentally fall, the water or towel would help break the fall and hopefully reduce tooth breakage.
by Joseph J. Massad, D.D.S.
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.
A metal-based denture is one in which a portion of the denture body is made of a substantial metal casting rather than all plastic (acrylic resin). This procedure is usually done on the lower denture.
There are two types of metal-based dentures.
The metal base portion of the denture is in direct contact with underlying supporting tissues.
The base is fabricated from a special medical grade alloy that is hypoallergenic and very biocompatible with tissues. Generally, tissues in contact with this type of material are very healthy in appearance.
The metal base portion of the denture is not in direct contact with underlying supporting tissues. A soft or hard plastic liner may be interposed between the metal and supporting tissues.
A soft liner is generally preferred to hard plastic since it is more comfortable to wear; however, the soft liner usually should be replaced on an annual basis.
Sometimes it is necessary to construct a very narrow denture in order to avoid any structures that would loosen the prosthesis, such as muscles flexing, and so forth. In addition, necessary surgical procedures to reposition a muscle attachment (called a frenum) can sometimes be avoided with these narrow type dentures.
However, such narrow dentures are weak and tend to break quite easily when fabricated just from plastic. A metal base provides the needed strength to design a very narrow denture in order to follow the confines of a patient's lower resorbed alveolar ridge (the remaining bony ridge). In addition, the metal base provides long-term dimensional stability and strength that is not enjoyed with an all-plastic denture base.
The added weight of the metal base provides a more natural perception for many patients. Many patients prefer the additional weight on the lower jaw.
A private study measured the actual weight of cadaver jaw ridges and teeth that would normally be lost after the extraction of teeth and associated natural shrinkage of the jawbones. It was found that the weight of these tissues closely approximated the weight of a metal base. Therefore, it is likely that the more natural feeling perceived by persons wearing metal-based dentures is probably real rather than imagined.
The additional weight of a metal base also contributes to lower denture stability by causing the denture to settle down onto a jaw ridge.
by Joseph J. Massad, D.D.S.
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.
