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Dentures

Like many things in life, the importance of something is never truly appreciated until it is gone. If you've lost your teeth, whether due to injury, tooth decay or gum disease, you surely understand.  The good news is that you have options to replace them.  Dentures can help restore your way of life by helping you with day-to-day functions, such as eating and speaking, as well as help restore your confidence by improving your appearance and smile.

 

A complete denture is a removable dental prosthesis that is inserted in the mouth that replaces missing teeth and surrounding tissue and provides support for the cheeks and lips. They are made to closely resemble your natural teeth and may even enhance your smile.

dentures

 

A Complete Denture may be either “conventional” or “immediate.”  A conventional type is made after the teeth have been removed and the gum tissues have healed.  Immediate dentures are made in advance and immediately placed after the teeth are removed, thus preventing the patient from having to be without teeth during the healing process.  Once the tissues shrink and heal, adjustments will have to be made.

 

Dentures are very durable appliances and will last many years, but may have to be remade, repaired, or readjusted due to normal wear.

Advantages:

  • Replacement for all missing teeth in an arch.

  • Enhancing smile and facial tissues by correcting the collapsed exterior of lips and cheeks that occurs after losing teeth.

  • Improving chewing, speech, and digestion.

  • Confidence - a healthy and beautiful-looking smile will help the patient feel more confident and attractive.

  • Phonetics - by replacing missing teeth, patients will be able to better pronounce certain words that require the use of teeth to speak.

 

 

What does getting dentures involve?

The process of getting dentures requires several appointments, usually over several weeks.  Highly accurate impressions (molds) and measurements are taken and used to create your custom denture.  Several “try-in” appointments may be necessary to ensure proper shape, color, and fit.  At the final appointment, Dr. Vanda Georgescu will precisely adjust and place the completed denture, ensuring a natural and comfortable fit.

 

It is normal to experience increased saliva flow, some soreness, and possible speech and chewing difficulty, however this will subside as your muscles and tissues get used to the new dentures.

 

Denture Complications

While every effort is made to make a good and functional denture, please keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfect denture. After delivery of the denture, it may require a few adjustment visits and some time for you and your new denture to adapt to each other. The most important point to remember is that adjusting to your new dentures is a process; it sometimes takes a little time to get used to. 

 

A new denture can also alter your eating and speaking habits and it may require a bit of practicing before you get comfortable.

 

Finally, due to differences in the shapes of the jaws and the strong muscle movement of the tongue and cheek, a lower denture may be harder to keep in the mouth compared to an upper denture.

 

Over a normal course of time, dentures will wear and need to be replaced or relined in order to keep the jaw alignment normal. The alignment will slowly change as the bone and gum ridges recede or shrink due to extraction of the teeth. Regular dental examinations are still important for the denture wearer so the oral tissues can be checked for disease or change.

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