thoughts on partial denture vs. bridge, biocompatibility
December 19, 2011 5:18 PM Subscribe
What kind of biocompatible partial or bridge should I get for missing lower two middle/front teeth?
Had to have my two middle/lower front teeth removed, been wearing a flipper.
Trying to decide what to get as a more permanent solution.
-Bridge: I am so scared of having pain and problems in the adjacent teeth if they get filed down. If anything can go wrong with me, it will. I am very sensitive. If it's possible to have problems, I will have them.
-Partial: Can partials be comfortable? Will it fit
I have an immune problem so I have to make sure that anything that goes in my mouth is biocompatible.
I'm also in the process of moving from Texas to Massachusetts.
My thought is, find a holistic dentist in MA, get biocompatibility testing there, and then get a tiny partial there. Hope it is comfortable.
Or I could get biocompatibility testing done now in TX, see what materials I can use, see if I'm able to tolerate Valplast, Lucitone, or Flexite, and then go to any old dentist in my area in MA and get a partial made of those materials there. These flexible materials might be more comfortable than hard acrylic?
Anyone have a flexible partial denture, from something like Lucitone FRS or Valplast? Is it comfortable?
I don't know whether to focus on going to a holistic dentist for this, or on getting something that is flexible.
They say that the flexible dentures are more durable since they don't break easily, they just bend. Could help a lot for things like KISSING, which is a bitch with this hard acrylic flipper. I freak out if my boyfriend pushes on it since it can get pushed out of shape easily (and it doesn't bounce back into shape).
Please help!
I also have sensory processing disorder, so all these things about putting random stuff in my mouth are very stressful for me because stuff that doesn't feel right REALLY bothers me to the point that I can't think about much else.
I know a bridge might be a better solution from the perspective of sensory processing disorder, and I might consider bridges that didn't involve filing down the adjacent teeth, but I really don't want to lose my two healthy teeth or lose the option of going back to a partial if I want to.
Had to have my two middle/lower front teeth removed, been wearing a flipper.
Trying to decide what to get as a more permanent solution.
-Bridge: I am so scared of having pain and problems in the adjacent teeth if they get filed down. If anything can go wrong with me, it will. I am very sensitive. If it's possible to have problems, I will have them.
-Partial: Can partials be comfortable? Will it fit
I have an immune problem so I have to make sure that anything that goes in my mouth is biocompatible.
I'm also in the process of moving from Texas to Massachusetts.
My thought is, find a holistic dentist in MA, get biocompatibility testing there, and then get a tiny partial there. Hope it is comfortable.
Or I could get biocompatibility testing done now in TX, see what materials I can use, see if I'm able to tolerate Valplast, Lucitone, or Flexite, and then go to any old dentist in my area in MA and get a partial made of those materials there. These flexible materials might be more comfortable than hard acrylic?
Anyone have a flexible partial denture, from something like Lucitone FRS or Valplast? Is it comfortable?
I don't know whether to focus on going to a holistic dentist for this, or on getting something that is flexible.
They say that the flexible dentures are more durable since they don't break easily, they just bend. Could help a lot for things like KISSING, which is a bitch with this hard acrylic flipper. I freak out if my boyfriend pushes on it since it can get pushed out of shape easily (and it doesn't bounce back into shape).
Please help!
I also have sensory processing disorder, so all these things about putting random stuff in my mouth are very stressful for me because stuff that doesn't feel right REALLY bothers me to the point that I can't think about much else.
I know a bridge might be a better solution from the perspective of sensory processing disorder, and I might consider bridges that didn't involve filing down the adjacent teeth, but I really don't want to lose my two healthy teeth or lose the option of going back to a partial if I want to.
Seconding the implants.
posted by Obscure Reference at 5:54 PM on December 19, 2011
posted by Obscure Reference at 5:54 PM on December 19, 2011
I had an experimental implant done in 1985: if I had to say which of my teeth I'm most confident in, it would be that one. Implant was done by two dental students and their professor. They call me back for evals about every three years for result testing.
posted by halfbuckaroo at 6:42 PM on December 19, 2011
posted by halfbuckaroo at 6:42 PM on December 19, 2011
Response by poster: So I have an immune issue and implants are a risk for me. I *might* be able to have zirconia implants eventually, but I'm dealing with a debilitating health problem right now (just now starting to work again after being disabled for years), so I can't risk anything with my health.
Maybe I will use a partial for a few years, save up, and get zirconia implants eventually. I can't do titanium implants--they are not great for health.
posted by ozone14 at 10:53 AM on December 20, 2011
Maybe I will use a partial for a few years, save up, and get zirconia implants eventually. I can't do titanium implants--they are not great for health.
posted by ozone14 at 10:53 AM on December 20, 2011
Response by poster: See this article on implants: http://www.wholebodymed.com/library_education_details.php?pid=93
posted by ozone14 at 10:55 AM on December 20, 2011
posted by ozone14 at 10:55 AM on December 20, 2011
I guess the reason that they called mine "experimental" back in 1985 is because it is ceramic, and probably a precursor to the zirconia ones listed in your article.
I have had all my military metal fillings replaced with cerecs, which are also ceramic. All are over five years old, and they are great, too. No heat or cold sensitivity, no discomfort on installation. They use a "Star Wars" 3-D laser imager to measure the open cavity, and then a mill grinds a blank to fit the opening exactly. Ten minutes later, it is installed, and I can't tell either visually or by "tongue detection" where the cerec stops and the real tooth begins.
The only piece of metal left in my mouth is a platinum/porcelain crown, and apparently I don't have any issues with platinum. Well, yet.
posted by halfbuckaroo at 7:06 AM on December 21, 2011
I have had all my military metal fillings replaced with cerecs, which are also ceramic. All are over five years old, and they are great, too. No heat or cold sensitivity, no discomfort on installation. They use a "Star Wars" 3-D laser imager to measure the open cavity, and then a mill grinds a blank to fit the opening exactly. Ten minutes later, it is installed, and I can't tell either visually or by "tongue detection" where the cerec stops and the real tooth begins.
The only piece of metal left in my mouth is a platinum/porcelain crown, and apparently I don't have any issues with platinum. Well, yet.
posted by halfbuckaroo at 7:06 AM on December 21, 2011
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I have the same two front teeth missing and could not do implants due to lack of sufficient bone structure. It could have been built up with grafts but I was not interested in that.
Having the tooth on either side of the missing teeth re-shaped (filed down) is a non event to me. I have that now and am very pleased with the results.
I had a flipper as well for a time but it just became to inconvenient to me.
I can't address the 'fear-factor' about dental work. Biocompatibility is a foreign subject to me.
posted by JayRwv at 5:35 PM on December 19, 2011 [1 favorite]