What are dentures?
Dentures are removable prosthetic devices usually made of metal or acrylic resin that replace your missing teeth. Dentures can replace all missing teeth (full dentures) or some teeth (partial dentures).
Benefits of having dentures
Replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and health. Should you have missing teeth, dentures help with your speech, chewing, adding support to your lips and chin, and improving the appearance of your smile. Without support from dentures, facial muscles may sag. Sometimes sagging facial muscles may make one look older.
Dentures in this day and age
With today’s technology, dentures can look so natural that people can’t tell if you’re wearing them. Dentures are custom made by your dentist to fit your mouth. This way, they will take on the character of your original teeth, leaving your appearance the same as before. The colour of the teeth is carefully selected, either to match your remaining teeth or simply to look as natural as possible.
There are Several Types of Dentures we use at DP Dental.
Full dentures
We use full dentures when the whole row of the teeth (upper or lower or both sets of teeth) are missing. Full dentures rely greatly on gum tissues for retention.
Partial dentures
Partial dentures are used when one or more natural teeth is/are intact in the upper or lower set of teeth. Partial dentures often come with clasps that hold your denture in place by hooking onto your tooth.
Implant-supported dentures
The dental implants act as support that replaces your natural teeth and are placed within your jawbone to help to hold the denture in place. Usually, about 2 to 4 implants are used in each jaw, depending on your budget.
Immediate dentures
Immediate dentures are made in advance so that they are ready to be positioned as soon as we remove the natural teeth. Hence, patients do not need to be without teeth during the healing period. However, patients may require adjustments a few months later after the extraction wound heals and recover to fit correctly.
How are dentures made?
Fabricating dentures take a few visits to your dentist.
- During the first visit, the dentist will take an impression of your teeth and send them to a dental laboratory.
- During your second visit, the dentist will ask you to come back to the clinic for a fit-on to check the fitting. We use a temporary denture for this purpose.
- Once completed, the dentist will proceed to create the actual denture on your third visit.
The best way to take care of your dentures
Here are some essential tips to guide you:
- It is crucial to treat your dentures with care as you would your “original” teeth.
- Poor denture hygiene may cause stains, foul odour and even oral infections.
- It is advisable to remove your dentures after every meal to wash off any food particles.
- Brush your dentures gently with a soft toothbrush and soak them in a denture cleaning solution once a week to disinfect and clean them.
- Always soak your dentures in water when you are not wearing them, as it prevents them from losing their shape.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us should you have any questions about dentures.