The difference between removable dentures and fixed dentures

We all know that teeth are the hardest part of the body. Generally, dental problems are caused by long-term eating habits. Once a tooth has a problem, it is necessary to wear a denture after extraction. This will not affect the image and will not cause other teeth to loosen. However, dentures are divided into fixed dentures and removable dentures. Many people often do not know which one is more suitable for them when choosing. Let's learn about the difference between removable dentures and fixed dentures.

The difference between removable dentures and fixed dentures

1. Removable dentures

Removable dentures mainly use plastic as the base, rely on mucosa and bone tissue for support, and are retained by the denture retainers and base. They are a kind of restoration that can be removed and worn freely. They consist of a denture on the base and an elastic metal clasp.

Advantages: It is relatively easy to operate, reduces tooth grinding, looks better than metal crowns, is easily accepted by patients, and the dentures can be removed and washed, which is beneficial to oral hygiene. It has a wide range of applications, can repair more missing teeth, and has a lower risk of falsification.

Disadvantages: The chewing function is worse than natural teeth, and you cannot eat hard food. When you first wear it, you will feel a foreign body sensation, slurred speech, excessive saliva, nausea and other discomforts. It also affects the appearance and pronunciation, damages adjacent teeth, and is prone to gum atrophy. It has poor retention and is easy to loosen, causing toothache, and its service life is also short.

2. Fixed dentures

Fixed dentures are restorations that replace one or several missing teeth in the dentition. It is connected to the prepared abutment teeth or implants on both sides of the missing tooth by adhesives or fixing devices, thereby restoring the anatomical morphology and physiological function of the missing tooth.

Advantages: Fixed dentures can prevent the teeth of the opposing jaw from elongating and the adjacent teeth from tilting. It can make patients feel the beauty, comfort and chewing sensation close to that of real teeth, and its retention is more stable than removable dentures.

Disadvantages: It requires wearing out healthy adjacent teeth, has poor functionality, has a short service life, is easy to get food stuck in it, and will increase the number of dentures in the mouth. It is suitable for a smaller group of people and is difficult to repair if there is a problem.

3. Dental Implants

Dental implants are mainly made of artificial materials (generally similar to the shape of tooth roots), which are surgically implanted into the tissue and obtain firm retention support from bone tissue. They are connected to the upper dental restoration through special devices and methods.

Advantages: Imported pure titanium material, good retention, no need to grind healthy adjacent teeth, high chewing efficiency, appearance comparable to real teeth in terms of convenience, comfort and beauty, service life of at least 20 years, less trauma, simple and quick, good integration with alveolar bone, wide range of indications, and high cost performance.

Disadvantages: It is relatively expensive, takes a long time, and requires a high level of expertise.

The above is an introduction to the difference between removable dentures and fixed dentures. After understanding, we know that both removable dentures and fixed dentures have their own advantages and disadvantages. We must make a choice based on the area and position of the teeth falling in our mouth. In addition, in order to have healthy teeth in our daily life, we must pay attention to ensuring good oral hygiene.