Dental
Dentures
What is a denture?
Dentures are removable false teeth made to replace missing teeth and are used to restore the function and appearance.
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What happens during the denture process?
The process for making a denture can take about 4 weeks. The first appointment will be to have impressions taken of the upper and lower teeth/ jaws. These are then sent to the lab for an impression tray to be made to fit your mouth exactly.
On the second appointment which is normally 7- 10 days later a new impression will be taken with the impression tray made from the lab and your bite will be measured. The shade will also be taken of your teeth so your denture will look as natural as possible and blend in with your other teeth.
On the third appointment which again is normally 7- 10 days later your dentures will be casted up in wax with the shade chosen at the previous appointment. The dentures will be tried in and the appearance, fit and bite will all be checked. Changes can be made at this appointment if necessary.
If any changes need to be made then the lab will do this and another appointment will be needed to try the dentures in again to check that you are fully happy with them before they are made in the chosen material.
On the final appointment the denture will be fitted and the bite will be checked. Any adjustments can be made with the bite and fit to make sure that the denture is comfortable and you are happy.
What type of dentures are available?
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Full complete denture- if you have lost all of your teeth then full set dentures can be made to replace all of the missing teeth to provide you will a full smile and function.
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Partial dentures- if you have lost one tooth or a few then dentures can me made to fill these spaces and can blend in nicely with your remaining teeth.
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Implant retained dentures- these are dentures that specifically fit onto implants and are a more permanent solution to the traditional denture. Implants are titanium screws that are permanently placed into the jawbone.
Dentures are normally made out of acrylic material. Some dentures come with a metal framework or metal clips to secure the denture in place around existing teeth.​
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How do I care for my dentures?
You should treat and care for your dentures as though they are your natural teeth. They can still collect plaque and debris around them just like natural teeth can. We recommend that you brush them twice a day with a soft filament toothbrush and soak them overnight in a denture cleaner. Taking them out at night is advisable as it will give your mouth time to breath and recover overnight.