Everything You Should Know About Dentures

Missing a tooth or teeth can negatively affect your smile and cause difficulties speaking and eating your favorite foods. Fortunately, you can replace missing teeth and restore your oral health, function, and aesthetics with dentures. Dentures are also effective in replacing extremely damaged teeth that can’t be saved with dental crowns or root canals. Let’s explore more about dentures, what they are, how they are made, the types, and what to expect from your treatment.

What are Dentures?

Dentures are devices made of artificial teeth and gums that replace lost or damaged teeth and gums. The dentures are custom designed to fit snugly over the gums and teeth (if any). They will look and feel like natural teeth. The artificial teeth are made from tooth-colored materials like plastic, porcelain, and hard resin.

These teeth are held in place by supporting structures that resemble a natural gum line that snugly fits on the natural gum line. It’s worth noting that the denture material is fragile and can break or crack if dropped. They also wear out over time and should be replaced every 10 to 15 years or so.

Types of Dentures

There are three major types of dentures, including:

• Complete dentures

These dentures are ideal if you’re missing all of your natural teeth in the lower or upper jaw. If you still have existing teeth, the dentist will begin by removing them. Full dentures can either be immediate or conventional.

As the name suggests, immediate full dentures are placed immediately after extracting the remaining teeth. The key benefit of these dentures is that you won’t have to stay for an extended time without teeth. Since the jaw and gums change after healing from the extraction, the denture must be realigned for a perfect fit.

Conventional complete dentures are not placed immediately after tooth extraction. Instead, the dentist will allow the gums tissues and jawbone to heal before creating a custom denture. The healing can take several months, depending on the cause of tooth loss. This option is undesirable to many due to the long waiting time.

• Partial Dentures

Your dentist might recommend partial dentures if you’ve lost a few of your natural teeth. Partial dentures contain several artificial teeth that are attached to the existing teeth. A partial denture can either be removed or fixed (bridge).

• Implant-supported dentures

Implant-supported dentures are a better and more stable solution to secure your smile. The denture is supported by dental implants surgically fixed in the jawbone. The implants work like artificial roots, while the denture works like the outer crown.

This option provides a more stable, permanent, comfortable, natural-looking, and long-lasting solution. They also provide healthy stimulation to the jawbone, preventing jawbone loss and facial sagging.

What Can I Expect When Getting Dentures?

If you’re considering dentures, you should begin by scheduling a consultation with our dentist in l4z 2v4. The dentist will physically examine your mouth, take x-rays, and assess your needs to determine if dentures are right for you.

If you’re eligible, the dentist will use a tray to take impressions of the hard and soft tissues of the mouth. These impressions are used to generate your custom-made dentures. The color of the denture will be personalized to match closely with existing teeth and gums. If you have no teeth, a natural tooth color will be applied.

Once the denture is ready, the dentist will test them to ensure they fit perfectly and comfortably. The dentist will make adjustments if necessary. You might need to see your dentist regularly for re-adjustments.

Remember, it might take some time to get used to speaking and eating with the denture. Fortunately, you’ll get used to wearing and using them within a few weeks. Visit a dentist near you or contact our dentures in Mississauga, ON dentist if your denture feels uncomfortable and ill-fitting

Schedule an Appointment Today

Ready to restore your oral health, function, and aesthetics with dentures? Contact Dr. Jeff Levman – Mississauga, ON, to schedule your appointment today.