Swapping Regular Dentures for Palateless Dentures (Ones You Can Wear All The Time)
- Perfect for a row of missing upper teeth for a full mouth
- An upper denture with no plate coverage restoring taste
- Fixed dentures you can wear all the time
For our patients who currently wear dentures, we know how tired you might be of your current prosthetic.
But the prospect of palateless dentures that don’t rely on suction to stay in place provides a glimmer of hope for patients wanting to avoid and navigate the everyday challenges of regular dentures.
Why regular dentures don’t work
Traditional dentures, while serving their purpose of restoring a natural-looking (ish) smile, do have their fair share of drawbacks.
Traditional dentures are on their way out. Their bulky design and coverage of the entire palate often cause our patients discomfort, hindered taste, limited chewing capabilities, and difficulties with speech. This experience with regular dentures reminds patients of their presence and their daily life limitations.
Full-mouth dentures require the roof of the mouth (the palate) to be covered by an acrylic base.
While this design choice helps with stability, it compromises taste sensations and feels uncomfortable.
Patients never forget they have a foreign object in their mouth and are often self-conscious of any accidents caused by denture movement.
As the bone resorbs more into the jaw, the gums and jaw shrink, causing ill-fitting dentures that require adjustments and adhesives to be more secure.
The better option – palateless dentures
Palateless dentures are a better alternative. They are revolutionary and address all the key issues that denture wearers face.
The main benefit is that the absence of a palate in these dentures allows for an unobstructed experience, allowing patients to enjoy the full flavour of food without interfering with a prosthetic palate.
Imagine never having to worry about your dentures slipping out of place again and being able to enjoy food without limits!
Removing the palate in denture design improves speech for denture wearers who might struggle to articulate certain sounds or words.
Palateless dentures provide a more comfortable alternative that does not require suction or adhesives to stay in place.
What are examples of palateless dentures?
Palateless dentures are possible with dental implant integrated treatment.
- Implant-retained dentures (fixed but removable)
- All-on-4 (fixed but non-removable)
How do they work?
Wondering how palateless dentures stay in place without suction? Well, they rely on dental implants to keep them secure.
Typically secured by three or four implants per jaw, palateless dentures can be permanently fixed by a dentist or removable (snap-in dentures).
The psychological impact
The psychological impact of wearing dentures should not be underestimated. Denture wearers often feel self-conscious about their dentures, especially in social scenarios.
While the design of palateless dentures improves the comfort and function of fake teeth, they also provide a more aesthetically pleasing solution.
Patients who switch to palateless dentures feel more confident knowing their dentures are discreet, will never fall out, and closely mimic the appearance of natural teeth better.
Adapting to palateless dentures
Palateless dentures are also better for your oral hygiene care and routine. For example, traditional dentures featuring a full palate are often more challenging to clean thoroughly, increasing the risk of developing oral health issues like gum disease.
Palateless dentures simplify the cleaning process, encouraging better oral hygiene practices and reducing the likelihood of future complications.
