As one of the most popular ways to replace missing teeth, you’ve probably heard of dentures – or know them by their other name, ‘false teeth’. Put simply, dentures are a removable set of prosthetic teeth that sit over the gums via an acrylic or chrome base. They can be used as either ‘complete’ or ‘partial’ dentures.
Partial dentures are used when only one or a few teeth are missing. They can be used to fill in just one gap left in the mouth, or a few gaps and are held in place via an attachment that clasps onto the surrounding natural teeth for support.
Complete dentures are used to replace a full arch or set of teeth and can be used on both the upper and lower rows of teeth. Unlike partial dentures, complete dentures are attached to the gums via suction and often also use an adhesive to secure them in place.
Receiving your dentures will take place over several visits to the practice. Once we have determined that dentures are the right option for you, we’ll take some measurements and images of the mouth. These will then be used by dental technicians off-site to create your dentures.
You may well need to have some teeth extracted in order to receive your dentures, which will also happen here at the practice. Once this heals and your dentures are ready for you, we’ll fit them for you here, making sure the fit and bite are correct.
We will, of course, go over all your care needs with you at the practice, but you will need to remove and clean your dentures at least once a day in order to keep them clean. They should also be removed overnight and can be soaked in an antibacterial solution.
If well taken care of, dentures should last for 7-10 years.
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