Denture

Dentures are false teeth that are fixed or removable replacements of natural teeth. Tooth replacement is suggested when natural tooth or teeth and its roots have been damaged beyond repair, and the tooth has been lost or must be removed due to gum disease, tooth decay or injury. Replacement of missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health because dentures make it easier to eat, speak better and look better than you could without teeth.

Problems After Removal of Teeth

Loss of teeth impacts chewing of food. Improperly chewed food may cause digestive problems, impairs absorption eventually leads to deficiency diseases and overall weakness.

♦        Facial muscles began to sag due to lack of support and make you look much older than you are. In some patient it may lead to psychological and social problems.

♦        The loss of teeth causes shrinkage of the bone at that area

♦        Difficulty in speech due to leakage of air

Benefits of Dentures

♦        Dentures improve the appearance of your face and profile. They can be made to closely resemble your natural teeth so that your appearance do not change much. Dentures improve the look of your smile and restore your youthful appearance.

♦        Allow you to eat most of the foods you love

♦        Help you feel better about yourself

♦        Eliminates embarrassment

♦        Enable you to speak more clearly

♦        Improve digestion and overall health of body

Different Types of Dentures

♦        Complete Dentures- Replace all the teeth

• Removable Full dentures - Replace all teeth and are designed to be removed and replaced by the patient  i.e. Conventional Complete Denture, Immediate Denture, Teeth Supported Overdenture, Implant Supported Overdenture, Softliner Denture.
• Fixed Full dentures - Replace all teeth but cannot be removed by the patient i.e. Full Mouth Implant

♦        Partial Dentures -    Replace a few teeth

• Removable Partial Dentures - Replace a few teeth and are designed to be removed and replaced by the patient i.e. Cast Partial Denture, Valplast Flexible Denture
• Fixed Partial Dentures - Replace a few teeth but cannot be removed by the patient i.e. Implant and Bridge.

Types of Complete Removable Dentures

There are some more subtypes of removable full dentures according to special need and situation of patients.

•          Conventional Full Denture 

This full removable denture is made and placed in your mouth after the remaining teeth are removed and tissues have healed, which may take several months. Here, we will discuss in detail about Conventional Full Dentures.

•          Immediate Denture

This removable denture is inserted on the same day that the remaining teeth are removed. We will take measurements and make models of your jaw before extraction of teeth, during a preliminary visit. You don’t have to be without teeth during the healing period, but may need to have the denture relined or remade after your gums have healed. Click here to know more about Immediate Denture

•          Teeth Supported Overdenture / Implant Supported Overdenture

Sometimes some of your teeth can be saved to preserve your jawbone and provide stability and support for the denture. An overdenture fit over a small number of remaining natural teeth after they have been prepared. In short, denture which is supported by natural teeth are called teeth supported overdenture. A new type of denture gaining popularity is the Implant supported denture that can be used to replace some or all teeth. This type of denture made up on titanium metal implants that are placed into the bone and give support for artificial teeth. Click here to know more about Teeth Supported overdenture.

•          Softliner Denture

It is type of conventional full denture, prescribed specially to those patients who are not comfortable with conventional full denture due to chronically and recurrent sore gum tissues (ulcer). Soft liners are a medical-grade soft polymer material applied to the tissue-fitting surface of hard denture base. Soft liners behave like a shock-absorbing cushion during chewing.

Here, we will discuss about Conventional Full Dentures.

Procedures - How Dentures are made…

The first step is thorough examination to see you and your oral cavity if you are a candidate for dentures. There are many patients who think that dentures are their only option. So many times these patients can have more options than they think. It is important to evaluate the bone and the gums where the denture will seat. If there are irregular bumps, ridges, swollen or irritated tissue, those areas must be corrected to allow the denture to fit well and comfortably. After examination, impressions or molds are made in first appointment. 

In second appointment, second impression or mold are made with a custom-fabricated tray (which is made from first impression). A perfect impression is the most important step of making a well fitting denture.

A  3rd appointment  is for  made to record the bite, choose the color or shade of the teeth, and discuss the tooth shape and position and establish suitable smile line position according to your face and lips to make you look better with false teeth.

A 4th appointment is then made to trail of the denture. At this stage the denture is made from wax with arranged teeth. This allows changes to position of the teeth and bite. This helps to make sure that everything done up to 3 stages was correct. If not, corrections are done until we and you are happy with the appearance and functions.

Last appointment is to place or deliver the dentures. At this point we will check the fit and the bite and make any initial adjustments if necessary. Normally the process to make dentures takes about 2-3 weeks.

Sometimes additional appointments may need to solve problems and complaint of patient, most commonly irritation of gums with new dentures. Charges of extra appointments are included in the fees for the fabrication of the denture.

Some Common Problems and Solutions with New Dentures

We enjoy replacing teeth with dentures, but learning to wear dentures can be a challenge. It is important to understand that a denture is an artificial replacement. Just like other artificial replacements, some people are successful in learning how to use their new prosthesis in short time and others struggle to adapt and may take long time. For example, think about an artificial leg. Some people with artificial legs can run, and even ski, while some people struggle to learn to use their artificial leg and after sometimes may choose to use a wheelchair. Just like an artificial leg, some patients easily learn to use dentures and some do not. The research data suggest that nearly 70% of denture wearers do not regularly wear their dentures. How a denture fits and functions is of paramount importance in improving your chances for success with adapting to a new denture.

♦        Filling with New Dentures

Some patients, not all, find the experience of wearing a denture for the first time to be challenging. Initially, dentures often will feel strange and bulky and will cause a feeling of fullness of the lips and cheeks.  A denture is a foreign object, and unfortunately, it cannot duplicate the exact feel and function of your natural teeth. It will be a new sensation that will take a period of time to adjust. These feelings will subside and you will feel more comfortable. Time, patience and will power are your biggest allies.

♦        Other Problems

You may also experience slurred speech, gagging, excessive salivation and funny or diminished taste. Again, these issues usually disappear over time. However, if they continue, please contact us to know about your particular difficulty. We’re here to help you.

♦        Chewing with New Dentures

Learning to chew with new dentures takes time. Start with soft foods and gradually introduce more difficult foods. Chew on both sides of your mouth at the same time to stabilize your teeth. Avoid biting into foods with your front teeth, as it may dislodge your dentures.

♦        Loose Lower Denture

Specially, in case of poor lower ridge or gums, it is difficult to adjust to a lower denture, because it move on lower gums and don’t have the suction that upper denture has. It will move around in mouth, even out of mouth, until you have mastered it.

Try resting your tongue against the inside, front edge of the lower denture to help hold it in place. Until you learn good tongue and lip control, adhesives are recommended. Adhesives come in many forms: creams, powders or  strips. This will retain denture temporarily.  This problem can be overcome with latest technology by implant supported overdenture. As a current or future denture wearer, we encourage you to learn more about these implants because this option definately improve your health, comfort and overall lifestyle.

♦        Dislodging

Sudden bursts of air such as coughing, sneezing and laughing, very wide opening such as yawning or extreme tongue movements will dislodge even the best dentures. Avoid these movements or place your hand over your mouth.

♦        Sore Spots

Appearance of some sore spots or ulcers on gums due to your new dentures is not unusual initially. For this type of problem, please contact us to help you. We will adjust your denture accordingly.

Some suggestions

♦ Be sure to leave your dentures out overnight

♦ Dentures should be stored in a covered container with the cleaning solution when not in the mouth.

♦In the beginning as much talking and reading aloud as possible

♦Avoid very hot food, your temperature sensitivity will be changed by the dentures covering your jaws.

♦When brushing, clean your mouth thoroughly—including your gums, cheeks, roof of your mouth and tongue to remove any plaque. This can help reduce the risk of oral irritation and bad breath.

♦In time, due to continued resorption of the jaw, your dentures may require relining.

♦Have your dentures, mouth, and adjacent structures checked by dentist at least once a year. The needs and nature of each patient vary, therefore, check with dentist about anything not covered here.

♦Don't ever adjust your denture yourself.

Denture Cleaning

♦ Like your teeth, your dentures should be brushed daily to remove food particles and plaque. Brushing also can help keep the teeth from staining

♦ Dentures can break, so always fill the sink with water then clean your dentures over the sink, just in case they slip out of your hands by accident.

♦ Rinse your dentures thoroughly under running tap water to remove loose food particles. Use cool or warm water. But never use hot water – it can warp your dentures.

♦ Apply a denture cleaning paste to a moistened denture brush or a soft-bristled toothbrush. Do not use ordinary toothpaste, bleach, lemon, vinegar or soap.

♦ Brush all surfaces thoroughly. Avoid using hard brushes, as they can scratch the denture material.

♦ Rinse dentures well under the running tap water to remove all traces of cleaning paste.

♦ While you sleep at night, soak your dentures in a cleanser