I’ve had periodontal disease and am missing several back teeth. I had a partial plate made, but I couldn’t wear it because it made me gag. Is there anything else I can do?
- Beverly in Utah
Beverly,
One of the advantages of dental implants that we don’t talk about a lot is that they don’t provoke a gag reflex at all. Partial dentures need to have a framework that connects the pieces together, and when it involves upper teeth this has to cross the palate. The more teeth that are replaced, the more of the palate has to be covered. If the very back teeth in your mouth are involved, this needs to be a plate that goes all the way back to the soft palate, which can be very uncomfortable and will provoke gagging in some people.
Since dental implants are fastened directly into the jawbone, there is no other hardware in your mouth. It’s just like having your own teeth back.
Related links:
Read about options for replacing missing teeth
Read about complete dentures on our Chicago dentures page