Dentures
Many patients have lost some or all their teeth. This can be as a result of an accident, or perhaps their teeth never developed in the first place, they may have eaten too much sugar in their diet resulting in tooth decay and extraction, or they may have advanced gum disease which results is bone loss and subsequently tooth loss.
This can then result in a number of problems for them, such as difficulty chewing food and speaking, loss of muscles and facial structure and perhaps just as importantly for many patients, a drop in confidence, as their smile is not what it used to be. Today, we can help you achieve all these things will improve the fit.
Dentures are removable appliances that are used to replace the appearance and function of a missing tooth/teeth and surrounding tissue. Although they will not feel the same as your original tooth/teeth, there are different options available to you, and with advances in technology and materials, they can be both comfortable and resemble your original teeth.
There are three main categories:
Full denture on one or both arches (Acrylic)
A complete or full set for those patients who have lost all of their teeth on either or both of their arches. These can take some time getting used to for a number of reasons, such as the muscles of the mouth, volume of saliva produced, bone levels & tongue. Sometimes patients need to use a special cream to help suction the denture into place and hold it there.
Partial dentures (Acrylic, chromes and flexible Valplast)
These are used to fill gaps when patients have only a few of teeth missing. Partials help return function of the missing teeth and prevent the remaining teeth moving into the gaps of the missing teeth. These sometimes use clasps that clip around the existing teeth to help keep them in position.
There are different kinds of removable dentures that we make. Click on each link for more information:
Immediate dentures (Acrylic)
These are made prior to extraction so they can be fitted straight after the patient has an extraction to immediately replace the gap. These are usually temporary as the bone level changes after healing so after a few months another permanent denture is made.
Appointments
It usually takes several weeks from start to finish before a new set is finished.
- At the first appointment impressions are taken and sent to the lab to make a special tray fitted to your mouth to take a more accurate mould.
- At the second appointment another impression is taken and sent back to the lab along with your bite measurement and the shade of your teeth.
- The third appointment is to try in a wax model of your teeth in a wax denture.
- The final appointment is for the fit.
You may find you need to pop back for an ease if it rubs. This is fairly common as your soft tissues adjust to the new appliance.
How to look after your denture
Remove them every night to allow your soft tissues to breath and prevent mouth infections. They should be removed over a partially filled sink or soft towel; this minimizes damage in the event they are accidentally dropped, as some can fracture or break.
It is important to clean them every single day. Soft tooth brushes should be used and warm water, not hot, to prevent warping. They can be placed in a special pot with specific cleaning solution as advised by your dentist or the manufacturing lab.
For further information on any of these services or to book an appointment, contact us on 0208 300 8255.
