Everything You Need to Know About Dentures

Dentist Blog

Dentures are a dental treatment option for when you have some missing teeth as a result of an accident or dental disease. Old age can also make you lose all or some of your teeth.

In the above scenarios, you may come across two different types of dentures: partial and full dentures.

• Full dentures are used when you have lost all of your teeth. They comprise of a full set of upper and lower teeth attached to a pink plastic base that takes the shape of either your upper or lower gum. You are expected to fit the upper denture on your upper gum and the lower denture on your lower gum. 
• Partial dentures are used when you have lost some of your teeth. They consist of some teeth attached to a plastic base that takes either the shape of your pallet for missing teeth in your upper jaw or the part of your lower jaw that has a gap. A wire may also be used when making the denture; it helps with shaping and placement.

Here are other important things you need to know about dentures:

Denture Fitting and Preparation Procedure

This depends on how you lost your teeth; was it an accident, disease or old age? Depending on how you lose your teeth, the gap left may need some time to heal. Your dentist should let you know how long. After healing, the dentist takes a mould of your teeth and may also require an X-ray. This is mainly to get better visualisation and an accurate shape to work with.

The mould is then sent to a dental laboratory to help prepare your dentures. Let your dentist inform you how long this should take. 

When your dentures are ready, your dentist places them in your mouth and inspects whether they fit accurately. If they don't, some modifications may be required.

Expectations

Don't expect your dentures to be comfortable at first. You might need some time to get used to them. You might even notice a change in how you speak; this improves after some time.

Denture Care

Dentures are worn during the day and taken out when sleeping or when you want to clean them. When you take them out at night, put them in a glass of water for them to remain moist and durable. If any damage occurs, do not put them back in your mouth or try to repair them. Take them back to the dentist for repair. 

If you want to learn more about dentures, feel free to contact dentists for more information.

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28 July 2020