Can Partial Dentures Fit Better?

Can partial dentures fit better?

The short answer to this is yes, but…  The reason I give a qualifier is because it really depends on who made the partial and the dentist who did the work prior to sending it to the lab.  Most dentists can take an impression but the qualifier here is that it needs to be evaluated for the impression it just took of the mouth and teeth that will be wearing the partial denture.

This evaluation is critical to the fit and function of the partial denture.  If it’s wrong then the whole process is wrong and the fit will not be ideal (to say the least).  The whole process of making the partial denture is way too complicated to get into right now.

Suffice it to say, there are about 245 steps to make a partial denture from start to finish.  Most as a patient you will not see done but the dentist is in charge of doing and overseeing all those steps and evaluating those for accuracy.  If your dentist is off at the beginning of the process the magnitude of that error is magnified as you go along.  Hopefully it’s picked up as an error early on and corrected by your dentist. If not this could be why your partial “doesn’t fit”.

The other area of concern would be in the design of the partial denture as it sits on your remaining teeth and your gums.  This design process is the sole responsibility of the dentist.  Your dentist literally writes a legal document (a prescription) to the lab, who is making the partial denture to tell them how to make the partial denture. This communication can be a two-way collaboration but the dentist needs final say on how it’s done.

A prosthodontist is a dental specialist in the restoration and replacement of teeth. We do know the steps to making a partial denture fit your mouth and take into your considerations and concerns on how the partial is to fit and talk to you with knowledge and experience about your partial denture.  There are other options to making a partial denture that cannot be taught in school because they are too advanced for the general dental students.  This is another reason why there are dental specialists!