• Upper-, lower complete denture (plastic with metal base)
• Upper-, lower complete denture placed in dental implant

Dentures

Dentures resemble natural teeth. Although they take some time to get used to wearing, modern advances in dentistry have resulted in dentures being more comfortable to wear than in years past while also offering a more natural appearance. There are two basic types of dentures – full dentures and partial dentures. Which one you choose will depend primarily on how many teeth need to be replaced.

• Full dentures – A full denture is used to replace all teeth on the upper or lower jaw. The denture includes an acrylic base that looks like natural gums, which then sits over the gums after any existing teeth have been removed.

• Partial dentures – A partial denture is a solution when only a few teeth need to be replaced. The partial denture either attaches to crowns on both side of the denture or to a metal framework that is attached to the teeth on both sides of the partial denture.

  Full and partial dentures can be removable or they can be anchored in place by attaching them to dental implants.

For long term use of dentures, it is important to follow proper denture care procedures. Dentures will also require periodic maintenance and may need to be relined, rebased (creating a new base for the teeth to sit on) or completely remade. Denture maintenance may be necessary due to changes that occur naturally in the mouth, or due to normal wear and tear of the dentures. It is important to follow proper denture care and maintenance to ensure that dentures remain comfortable to wear and continue to look their best.

 At first, your dentures will feel uncomfortable because the gums and tissue are not accustomed to being in contact with man-made relining materials. Once placed, dentures should be worn continually for the first few days to reduce the amount of swelling that may occur in the mouth. This swelling typically subsides in two to three days. Until patients adjust to their new set of teeth, the dentures may feel loose and awkward while chewing food. Eating soft food may be necessary for the first few days. Reading aloud helps to overcome any speech impediments that may occur from the new dentures. Typically, lower dentures take longer to get used to than upper dentures. The underlying jawbone may take several months to completely heal and become accustomed to the dentures. Once this occurs, the dentist removes the dentures and creates a permanent lining for your teeth (a denture lining is the soft material that cushions the contact between the denture and the gum tissues).