Partial Dentures · San Ramon
When you still have teeth worth keeping
A partial does two jobs: it fills the gaps, and it stops your remaining teeth drifting into them.
Who this is for
- Several missing teeth, with healthy teeth remaining
- A gap that is affecting how you chew
- You want something less costly than implants or a bridge
- An existing partial that has become loose or uncomfortable
The job people forget it does
Filling the gap is the obvious part. The less obvious part is that teeth move. Leave a space and the teeth either side tip into it while the opposing tooth over-erupts down into it.
That happens slowly and it changes your bite in ways considerably harder and more expensive to fix than the original gap was. A partial holds everything where it is.
So even where someone is untroubled by the appearance of a gap, there is usually a good structural reason to fill it.
Metal framework or acrylic
A cast metal framework is thinner, stronger, more comfortable, and far less likely to break. It also transmits temperature, so food tastes more normal. It costs more.
An all-acrylic partial is cheaper and quicker, and it is the right answer as a temporary while you heal after extractions or while deciding on something permanent. As a long-term appliance it is bulkier and fractures more readily.
Flexible nylon partials are a third option: no visible metal clasps, comfortable, but they cannot be relined easily and are harder to adjust. We will tell you which we would choose for your case and why.
Looking after the teeth it clasps onto
This decides whether a partial is a good thing or a slow problem. The clasps sit against your own teeth, and plaque collects at exactly that contact point.
So the partial comes out after meals for rinsing where practical, it comes out at night, and the teeth it clasps get particular attention when you brush. Patients who do that keep those teeth. Patients who do not tend to lose them, which is the most common way partial wearers end up needing a full denture.
We will show you exactly which surfaces matter on your own model before you leave.
What to expect
Here’s how the visit actually goes.
No surprises. That’s the whole idea.
01
Assessment
We check the teeth that would carry the partial. If one is questionable, better to know now than build around it.
02
Impressions
Of both arches, plus a bite registration.
03
Framework try-in
For a metal partial we try the framework alone first, to confirm fit before teeth are added.
04
Fitting
Checked for pressure and bite, with the clasps adjusted for retention.
05
Adjustments
One or two short visits. Come back for sore spots rather than putting up with them.
Questions
Answered before you ask.
Will the clasps show?
On back teeth, rarely. Toward the front we can often place clasps on the tongue side or use a flexible design with no visible metal. Tell us if this matters and we will design around it.
Partial denture or bridge?
A bridge is fixed and feels more like your own teeth, but it means cutting down the teeth either side. A partial removes nothing. Where the neighboring teeth are healthy, that is a real argument for the partial.
Do I wear it at night?
Generally not. Your gums and the clasped teeth benefit from the rest. Keep it in water overnight.
How long does one last?
Five to ten years, though it will usually need relining before then as the ridge changes. If you lose another tooth, a partial can often be added to rather than remade.
In their words
Thirty years of families who stayed.
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