A denture is an appliance that is worn to replace lost or missing teeth. The base of a denture is called a plate and can be made of either acrylic or metal. The teeth are normally made of acrylic and can be made to match your natural teeth. A complete or full denture is one which replaces all of the natural teeth in either the upper or lower jaw. Partial dentures fill the spaces created by lost or missing teeth and is attached to your natural teeth with metal clasps or devices called precision attachments.
Candidates for complete dentures have lost most or all of their natural teeth. Partial dentures are suitable for those who have some natural teeth remaining. A denture improves chewing ability and speech while providing support for facial muscles, greatly enhancing facial appearance and smile.
Replacing lost or missing teeth has substantial benefits for your health and appearance. A complete or full denture replaces the natural teeth and provides support for cheeks and lips. Without this support, sagging facial muscles can make a person appear older and reduce their ability to eat and speak.
Conventional dentures are made and inserted after teeth have been removed and the tissue has healed, which may take several months.
Immediate dentures are inserted right after teeth have been removed. To do this, our dental prosthetist takes measurements and impressions of your mouth during a preliminary visit and discusses the shade of the teeth and your requirements.
An advantage of immediate dentures is that the wearer does not have to be without teeth during the healing period. However, bone and gums will shrink over time, especially during the first six months after teeth have been removed. When gums shrink, immediate dentures may require relining, or in some circumstances, replacing to fit properly. Healing may take six to eight months.
There are several advantages of an immediate denture. The most important factor is that you will never need to appear in public without teeth. It is also easier to duplicate the shape, colour and arrangement of your natural teeth while some are still present in your mouth. When an immediate denture is inserted at the time of extraction, it will act as an aid to protect the tissues and reduce bleeding. An immediate denture will allow you to establish your speech patterns early as you won’t have to learn to speak without a denture in place. They also allow you to chew better than without any teeth and minimise facial distortion that may occur when teeth are removed.
Eating will take a little practice. Start with soft foods and cut them into small pieces. Chew slowly using both sides of your mouth at the same time to prevent the denture from moving. As you become more used to your denture, add other foods until you return to your normal diet. Continue to chew food using both sides of the mouth at the same time. Be cautious with hot or hard foods and sharp-edged bones or shells.
Pronouncing certain words may require practice. Reading out loud and repeating difficult words will help. If you find that your dentures occasionally slip when you laugh, cough or smile, reposition the denture by gently biting down and swallowing. If this continues, consult Denture Doctor.
Candidates for complete dentures have lost most or all of their natural teeth. Partial dentures are suitable for those who have some natural teeth remaining. A denture improves chewing ability and speech while providing support for facial muscles, greatly enhancing facial appearance and smile.
During the first few days, you may be advised to wear them for most of the time, including while you are asleep. After an initial period of adjustment, our denture professional may advise that you remove them before going to bed. This allows your gums to rest and helps promote oral health. It is not desirable that the tissues be constantly covered by denture material.
Under normal circumstances, it is considered best to remove dentures at night. Research has shown that removing the denture for at least 8 hours during either the day or night allows the gum tissue to rest and allows normal stimulation and cleansing by the tongue and saliva. This promotes better long-term health of the gums.
Dentures can be made to closely resemble your natural teeth so that little change in appearance will be noticeable. Modern dentures may even improve the look of your smile and help fill out the appearance of your face and profile.
The general rule is brush, soak, and brush. Always clean your dentures over a bowl of water or a folded towel in case you drop them. Brush your dentures before soaking to help remove any food debris, and then use a denture cleaner to soak dentures to help remove stubborn stains, leaving your denture feeling fresher. Always follow the manufacturers' instructions and never use boiling water. Then, brush the dentures again after soaking, as you would your teeth, being careful not to scrub too hard.
Use a soft bristle brush, as over time hard bristles and scrubbing can cause grooves in the denture surface causing places for food to build up. Full and partial dentures can be cleaned with detergent and water or toothpaste. Brush gently with toothpaste as it contains an abrasive which could cause grooves in surfaces. Make sure you clean all the surfaces of the dentures including the surface which comes into contact with your gums. This is especially important if you use any denture fixative. If you notice a buildup of stains or scale, have your denture cleaned by our denture professional.
You can seriously damage your dentures and harm your health by trying to adjust or repair your dentures. A denture that is not made to fit properly can cause irritation and sores.
See our denture professional if your dentures break, crack, chip, or if one of the teeth becomes loose. In most cases, the necessary adjustments or repairs can be done on the same day. A person who lacks the proper training will not be able to reconstruct the denture. This can cause greater damage to the denture and may cause problems in your mouth. Glue sold over-the-counter often contains harmful chemicals and should not be used on dentures.
Over a period of time, dentures will need to be relined or remade due to normal wear or a change in the shape of your mouth. Bone and gum ridges can recede or shrink, causing jaws to align differently. Loose dentures can cause health problems including sores and infections, not to mention discomfort. A loose or ill-fitting denture can also make eating and speaking more difficult. It is important to replace worn or poorly-fitting dentures before they cause problems.
Denture adhesive can provide additional retention for well-fitting dentures. They are not the solution for old, ill-fitting dentures. A poorly fitting denture that causes constant irritation over a long period may contribute to the development of sores. These dentures may need a reline or need to be replaced. If your dentures begin to feel loose or cause pronounced discomfort, consult with our denture professional immediately.
Even with full dentures, you still need to take good care of your mouth. Every morning and evening, brush your gums, tongue and roof of your mouth with a soft-bristled brush. This removes plaque and stimulates circulation in the mouth. It is vitally important that partial denture wearers brush their teeth thoroughly every day to prevent tooth decay and gum disease that can lead to further teeth being lost. It is not always convenient to brush your teeth after eating however it is important to rinse the denture and mouth to remove food debris. Selecting a balanced diet for proper nutrition is also important for maintaining a healthy mouth.
An immediate denture is initially more expensive than a conventional denture because additional time is needed for construction, and follow-up visits are needed for adjustments and re-fitting.
A soft temporary reline material can be utilised for re-fitting your denture when it becomes loose during the healing process that incurs an additional cost. After the soft tissues have healed, and shrinkage of the underlying bone has occurred, about six to eight months following extractions, the immediate denture must be finalised by a permanent reline or a new denture. At this time, you will be charged for either a reline or a new denture, depending on your choice.
Our dental prosthetist at Doctor Denture will discuss with you the pros and cons of a permanent reline versus making a new denture, to help you make a decision. A major advantage of making a new denture is that the immediate denture can be a spare denture if the new denture breaks, is misplaced or has to be repaired or relined in our laboratory. If the immediate denture is relined, it will usually need to be left overnight while it is permanently relined.
The biggest disadvantage is the increased cost. Another disadvantage is that you cannot always see how the denture will look before the teeth are extracted, and the immediate denture is inserted. Also, initially, an immediate denture does not always fit as accurately as a conventional denture, which is made after the tissues have healed for six to eight weeks following extractions, and without wearing a denture.
Four to five visits may be necessary over several weeks for the fabrication phase of a denture.
The fabrication phase consists of impressions, bite records, tooth selection and try-on of teeth set in wax, and then completion and inserting of the new denture.
New dentures may feel awkward or even uncomfortable for a few weeks until you become accustomed to them. The dentures may feel loose while the muscles of your cheek and tongue learn to keep them in place. Should this continue, consult our dental professional on the Gold Coast.
It is not unusual to experience minor irritation or soreness during this period. You may also find that saliva flow temporarily increases. As your mouth becomes accustomed to the dentures, these problems should diminish. If any problems persist, particularly irritation or soreness, be sure to consult us.
