Dentures

The natural, comfortable solution

Losing your teeth can have a massive negative effect on your confidence, and also impact on your quality of life. At meal times the way we chew food is affected causing us to avoid particular foods we used to enjoy. Additionally your teeth provide some of the structure and support that form the shape of your cheeks. When tooth loss occurs it can result in sagging cheeks (jowels) and give you the appearance that you are much older than you actually are. The good news is that dentures can provide the answer.

What is a denture?

Tooth loss can occur for several reasons such as periodontal disease, decay or trauma. It is important that you have regular check ups with your dentist and that you have any missing teeth replaced as soon as you possibly can to prevent any excess wear to existing teeth in the long terms. A denture is a removable artificial tooth or set of teeth that replaces missing teeth in either the upper or lower jaw or both in the most severe cases of tooth loss.

Dentures have been used to replace missing teeth for many years. With advances in dental technology and the use of the latest dental materials dentures can be made to look and feel like your own natural teeth.

What types of dentures are there?

Dentures are generally fabricated from acrylic resins. With advances in modern cosmetic dentistry there are a wide variety of materials available for dentures.

If you are missing all of your teeth then a complete set of upper and lower dentures is used to replace them. It may well be easier to remove one or two remaining teeth to allow a complete set of dentures to be worn. However if only a few of the teeth need replacing then in many cases your cosmetic dentist may be able to fit a partial denture / overdenture. The fitting of a partial / over dentures can prevent your existing healthy teeth from moving into the gaps following the tooth loss because of either decay or an accident.

How are dentures held in place?

Would you like to have the confidence when you eat to choose whatever you want without having to worry about the nightmare of your dentures coming working loose or even worse falling out in a public place. Now you can. Though some dentures are held in place by their natural suction to your gums (sometimes with the use of a fixative), your dentures may also be attached in place with the use of dental implants. More and more patients are choosing to have dental implants because of their more permanent nature.

How long do dentures last?

As you age your dentures can begin to feel loose as your gums shrink back and your bite pattern changes. If the problem becomes severe it may be that you need a new set of dentures measuring and fitting. However in some instances it is possible that some simple modifications to your existing set of dentures may rectify the problem. You should always make sure you take care of your dentures and clean them frequently. The length of time your dentures last also depends on how much use you give them as they will suffer from natural wear / tear as time goes by..

Find a cosmetic dentist today

In the hands of a skilled cosmetic dentist using high quality cosmetic dentures, the transformation possible really can be breathtaking. Quite simply, dentures can give you your life back.

The Procedure

The first thing your cosmetic dentist will do at your initial meeting will be to examine your mouth and gums to decide your suitability for having dentures fitted. If you have a few existing teeth it may be that some of your existing teeth may need to be removed first. If this is the case your cosmetic dentist will explain the reasons why your teeth need removing before proceeds to the impression stage of the treatment. The extraction of any any teeth can usually take place at your initial appointment.

The last stage of your denture treatment is for your cosmetic dentist to create a mould of your gums using a special dental material specifically for this purpose. The mould will then be used as a guide to custom create your dentures to fit your mouth and gums perfectly. It is important to make sure your denture fit correctly at this stage as incorrectly fited dentures can cause many problems including discomfort and difficulty eating food.