Dentures and Partials

Dentures are a removable piece of hardware used to replace some or all of your natural teeth. If all of your teeth are missing or need to be removed, you will be given a full set of dentures. If some of your natural teeth remain, partial dentures are used.

Types of Dentures

Generally speaking, dentures come in two standard types:

• Conventional dentures are not fitted until after the gums and jaw have fully healed from the extraction of your teeth. This can take up to eight to twelve weeks, and during this period, you will not have any teeth.
• Immediate dentures are fitted before your teeth are extracted and can be worn almost immediately. Immediate dentures will require several more fittings than traditional dentures, as the shape of your jaw and gums will change during the healing process, but they have the advantage of immediately restoring your teeth after the extraction.

Partial dentures can be used when only some of your teeth need to be removed. Partials function similarly to a bridge but are removable.

Adjusting to Dentures

When you are first fitted for dentures, you may have to wear them all the time, including while sleeping. This will allow the dentist to quickly find spots that need to be reshaped due to discomfort or irritation. After the dentures are properly fitted to your jaw, dentures can be removed at night.

While dentures are not real teeth, you will want to care for them as if they were. Brush your dentures to remove food particles before removing them. You will need to deposit your dentures into warm water or a denture cleaning solution as soon as you remove them from your mouth. Hot water can warp dentures, so be careful!

It can take some time for your mouth to adjust to the shape of dentures. At first it may feel awkward and bulky to have the appliances in your mouth, but over time, you will become accustomed to the dentures.

Contact our office today for more information on whether dentures are right for you.