Dentures in Matthews and South Park
If you are missing all of your teeth, or your remaining teeth have problems like decay or gum disease which are too severe to be repaired, a full denture is sometimes your best and only option. Though many people mistakenly believe that ‘pulling’ all of their teeth and getting dentures is the end of their teeth problems, let us assure you that it is usually just the beginning.
Learning to live speak and eat with full dentures is a big change and requires lots of hard work on both our part AND yours. The biggest obstacle is that denture patients are almost always aware that their teeth are not their own – just like a false leg or arm. Dentures shift and move as you speak and they provide only a minimum of chewing force. They lose suction which can cause them to come out unexpectedly.
As your bone changes and melts away, the fit will change. Patients will need to come in to adjust sore spots and refill the voids with new plastic as their denture fit changes. At some point, the fit will change enough that they will need to be remade. In general, dentures should be replaced every 5-8 years or when they wobble side-to-side if you push on them with your fingers. Wearing ill-fitting dentures will accelerate the loss of your jawbone.
Even more important, a high percentage of patients will NEVER be able to wear their dentures comfortably. It does not matter how well they are made. This is even more common for lower dentures because there is no palate bone to support them.
There is no way to know whether or not you will be a “good” denture wearer or a “bad” one until you actually try to wear a set. We have seen patients who have excellent sets that cannot wear them. Likewise, we see patients that have poorly made dentures that do very well!
Be wary of anyone that will guarantee that you will love your dentures. It’s simply not possible. Given these limitations, a well-fitting denture can last for years. Full Dentures can allow better chewing than just using your gums and they can look good as well.
If you are not able to comfortably wear dentures, or your simply tired of dealing with the problems they can cause, you can consider dental implants
Regular or Immediate Dentures?
Regular Dentures
If you already are missing all of your teeth or already have an existing set of dentures, your decision has been made for you – a regular set can be made while you wear your old dentures. If this is your first set or you still have some remaining teeth, you will need to decide whether or not to have a regular or immediate set of dentures made.
When making a regular set of dentures, your teeth are pulled first followed by a period of healing. Impressions to fabricate your dentures are made only after most of the healing has taken place. The advantage is a more accurate fit and a more stable, permanent result. You will also have the opportunity to try in the dentures to evaluate the tooth color, alignment and shape while the dentures are still being “mocked up” for final processing. The main disadvantage is that healing can take one to four months! During that time you would be without any teeth. This is simply not an option for most people.
Immediate Dentures
An immediate set is made from molds taken while your last remaining teeth are still in place. The stone teeth are cut off of the models and your casts are shaped to simulate what your gums will look like after your surgery. Your dentures are fabricated on these casts before your teeth are ever removed and you will never go without teeth. On the day of delivery, all of the remaining teeth are taken out and the denture is placed as a “bandage” over the extraction sites. You are given special instructions for the first couple of nights and return within a couple of days for adjustments.
Because your teeth are “in the way” until the denture is finished, the try in stage is limited and the final result can only be seen after the last teeth are taken out. The other disadvantage is that as your gums heal and shrink following surgery, your denture will become loose. Typically, we will reline the immediate denture 3-6 months after surgery with a liquid plastic.
Most patients will need a completely new denture within the next year or two since the bone will re contour quickly at first. Because of the extra relines and the short life of the immediate, the initial investment is higher. In the end though, you have the opportunity to heal and learn to live with the new prosthetic as well as work out all of the kinks you like and don’t like about your new smile. When you are ready for a new set, your immediate set can become a spare or ’embarrassment’ set in case your other ones need repair or alteration.
Two types of dentures are available — complete and partial. Complete dentures are used when all the teeth are missing, while partials are used when some natural teeth remain.
Full Dentures
There are two different types of removable full dentures; immediate and conventional. Immediate dentures are typically made when the patient’s existing natural teeth are being removed and the new dentures are delivered the day of the extractions.
Conventional dentures are typically made when all the natural teeth are missing or when existing dentures are being replaced.
Partial Denture
A partial denture is a removable dental appliance that replaces multiple missing teeth. It can be attached to the teeth with clasps, which are like small metal “c” clamps that hug nearby teeth or may be attached to teeth with crowns with precision attachments (hidden clasps). Both types typically have a metal framework and plastic teeth and gum areas. A temporary partial denture may have a plastic base with no metal.
McKee Dental Associates is known for offering the best dentures in South Park, considering your oral health needs.
Basic, Better, or Best?
Dentures are both an art and a science. There are many technical decisions in the fabrication of your dentures that cannot be altered. There are many aspects, though, where we can use our creativity. Have you always wanted really white teeth? Did your natural teeth have spaces or gaps? Is there a particular smile you have always liked? To a limit, you can pick what you find attractive.
There are many options from just the “basic” set that your insurance might cover. Stock teeth are usually a solid color. Custom order teeth are blended from layers of material like natural teeth to have vibrancy and translucency. The shapes can be chosen to match your facial profile. The teeth can be set in a natural or perfected arrangement depending on your preference. The denture itself can be made of solid pink plastic or it can be hand layered and sculpted. When sculpted, different shades of gum color to better blend in with your skin tones.
We will work with you to find the best combination of quality and features in your price range.
Adjustments to a Denture
Over time, adjustments to your prosthesis will be necessary. As you age, your mouth naturally changes, which can affect the fit of the partial or denture. Your bone and gum ridges will recede or shrink, resulting in a poorly fitting denture over time.
Dentures or partials that do not fit properly should be adjusted and, in some cases, relined. Poorly fitting dentures can cause various problems, including sores or infections. See us promptly if your denture becomes loose, and maintain your regular visits, too.
Contact us for more information about dentures or book your appointment today.