Any dentists or prosthodontists online, I have a question for you?

Question

My mother has a lower partial. She has only 3 real teeth on the lower. A lower left molar anchor tooth, a lower right molar anchor tooth & a lower right bicuspid. The lower right bicuspid is ready to fall out & it's hurting her. She asked her dentist if he could take it out & add another tooth on the partial. I am a dental asst. & from what I learned in school, what she wants done is possible isnt it? To extract the lower right bicuspid & add another tooth to the partial. He told her absolutely not & he will not do it. Why would he say this? Any help please.

Answer 1

Yes, this tooth may be added to the partial. It's a compromise but it will suffice until the time comes when she needs a complete denture. She may want to see about getting 2 implants positioned in the cuspid region to prevent anterior tilt when she eats. She should see another doc if hers won't do what she'd like there.

Answer 2

Almost anything can be done, since it is removable. But it is not "standard of care" kind of treatment. This is why the dentist is reluctant. I am a Prosthodontist and I would not have given your mother a partial with just three teeth in the mouth. A complete denture would have been a better option even at that time. An interim partial or a resin base partial could have been made and denture teeth could have been added as teeth continued to fall. Eventually the interim partial would become an interim Complete Denture. You can do the same with the existing partial denture. You may be able to add a tooth and use it as an interim. Eventually all teeth would have to be extracted and a Complete Denture will have to made.

Answer 3

Probably because he doesn't want to marry the situation. What I mean by that is that a lower partial only held in place by a molar on each side is not stable from a biomechanical engineering standpoint and she will most likely continue to experience additional problems like not being able to eat. If her bicuspid really hurts that bad then she should find another dentist to pull it for her and add it to her partial. But she should expect it to not work very well.

Answer 4

I would think it would be very difficult to anchor the front of the partial, thus causing the parial to rise and rock in the front during chewing. An anterior or lateral tooth would be necessary to keep the partial in contact with the alveolar ridge and prevent food from sticking there.
My question-- why haven't you asked the prosthodontist this question?

Answer 5

if you are doing a partial and you only have 2 teeth left then it really needs to be the canines. adding teeth to a partial is a very compromising procedure. it sounds like a better idea than it is.

honestly, i would never let my mother wear a partial if she was facing partial edentulism. they are universally disappointing when you compare them to an implant supported denture. yes, implants are expensive but how nice would it be to watch your mom eat and apple or a hamburger?!

Answer 6

IT WON'T BE AS STABLE WITH JUST2 TEETH, BUT MANTAINING A LOOSE TOOTH MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE AND PAINFUL TO KEEP.
YES, THIS MAY ONLY HAVE 2 ANCHORS BUT IT'S BETTER THAN COMPLETE FALSE TEETH.
FIND ANOTHER DENTIST THAT UNDERSTANDS HOW PROSTHODONTICS WORK.