What are dentures?
Dentures (false teeth) are a dental appliance used to replace missing teeth. A full denture is necessary when all the natural teeth are missing and a partial denture will replace individual missing teeth.
Why should I wear dentures?
When we lose teeth it can lead to many problems such as loss of support for our face leading to the “sunken face” look which can be ageing and leave many patients embarrassed to smile.
Loss of teeth can have an affect on our speech and our ability to eat and chew. Dentures/false teeth can improve all of these problems and now can look very natural.
What are dentures made of?
Dentures can be made of acrylic, metal or a flexible material. To find out which material is best for you an appointment with your dentist should be made to discuss your needs.
What happens when dentures are made?
Your dentist will take impressions of your mouth that are sent to a laboratory and week by week will build up a wax model of how your dentures will fit and look. These will be tried in your mouth to ensure that the fit and appearance are satisfactory before changing the wax into plastic. You may need to return to your dentist for minor adjustments after fitting as your teeth “bed in”.
Sometimes an immediate denture is used. This is where an impression is taken prior to tooth extraction and a denture is made and placed immediately when the tooth is extracted so you are not left with a gap. Immediate dentures are not for long term use, as the gums heal after extraction the immediate denture will become ill-fitting and a new denture will need to be made. Your dentist will monitor the healing process and will advise you when a new denture needs to be constructed.
Denture hygiene and maintenance
In order to keep your dentures at their optimum, you need to remove them every night and clean them by brushing and soaking them in water overnight. You can use special denture cleaning tablets if you wish to remove light staining.
It is important to keep your dentures clean as bacteria and fungi can live on your denture and be easily transferred to your gums and surrounding tissues. Do leave your denture out at night as this gives your gums and surrounding tissues a ‘rest’ and visit your dentist regularly for oral health screening.
