Denture Categories

A full upper or full lower denture replaces all the natural teeth. They will provide function, natural esthetics, support for cheeks and lips.

New Dentures

Learning to wear a denture will take some time. The dentures can feel slightly bulky at first. This is perfectly normal. Your facial muscles and tongue are adjusting to the new appliances. Your tongue may feel slightly restricted.  Sore spots may develop shortly after initial placement of the dentures. Our office will usually schedule an adjustment within a few days after you receive your dentures. It is important to try to wear your dentures approximately 24 hours prior to your adjustment. Try to eat softer foods for the first couple of days. As you progress into more solid foods, try to place even amounts of food on both sides while chewing.  The lower denture is usually more difficult to adjust to.

Immediate dentures are inserted immediately after extractions of remaining teeth. They serve several purposes. You will not have to be without teeth. Placement of the immediate denture aids in the healing process.  Immediate dentures are more labor intensive and are more difficult to fabricate. They also require follow up chair side relining and permanent relining.  Thus, they are more expensive then replacement dentures. Preliminary impressions are taken prior to extractions. Your Denturist will discuss with you any modifications that can be made. Increased function and appearance are primary concerns. After extractions your ridges will shrink considerably during the first few weeks.  A temporary liner can be applied to acquire a better fit. A permanent liner should be applied six months after extractions. Your denturist will advise you on when this should be accomplished.

Partial dentures (metal base/tooth bearing) replace some teeth. Partials are much stronger than flippers. A much better fit can be acquired with a partial denture. This is due to the precision design and casting of the metal appliance. Partial dentures are much easier to reline than a flipper. Your Dentist will ensure that all remaining teeth are in excellent condition prior to the fabrication of the partial. Crowns, fillings and rests may be necessary prior to having your Denturist fabricate a new appliance.

Flippers (resin base/tissue bearing) replace some teeth. A flipper (TPD- transitional partial denture) is fabricated to replace one or more teeth. Your Dentist may have you wear a flipper as a temporary measure until other work, such as an implant or a bridge can be fabricated. Additional teeth can be easily added to a flipper. A big advantage that a flipper has is that if you were unfortunate enough to suddenly lose a front tooth by accident or surgery a flipper can usually be fabricated in a day and your esthetics would be returned quickly.

Relines may be necessary on a periodic basis. A reline involves the process of removing some of the old plastic on the tissue side of the denture and replacing it with new plastic. By maintaining a good fit, this can slow the rate of shrinkage.  The primary reason for having your dentures relined is natural shrinkage of your ridges.  The lower denture is usually relined more frequently than the upper. This is due to the fact that the lower ridge usually shrinks at a faster rate than the upper arch. If you are covered by insurance, most relines are covered once every year. We can verify this with your insurance company. Other factors that may determine if a reline is required are weight loss, the onset of collecting food under your denture, sore spots, fracturing of your denture. Your Denturist can easily determine if a reline is necessary.

Soft permanent relines are almost always placed on lower dentures. A patient may not be able to wear a lower denture because the ridge is tender and sore spots keep occurring. The denture can be relined with a material that will remain somewhat pliable and act as a cushion against your gums. If your ridge has flabby tissue, this will not lend support to the stability of the denture. You may need to be seen by an Oral Surgeon to correct these conditions either by surgery or possibly having retained implants for your dentures. Your Denturist will work with you and your Oral surgeon to fabricate the new appliance.

Temporary relines (tissue conditioners) are applied chairside. This type of reline will help inflamed tissue or sore spots heal. After a few weeks of  healing new impressions can be taken to start new dentures or a permanent hard or soft reline can be applied  to the existing denture.

Rebase involves the process of using the same teeth on your existing denture and refabricating  a new denture. Most rebases are usually performed on the lower denture. In some cases after immediate dentures (see above definition) are inserted,  the lower ridge will shrink at a faster rate than the upper denture. This can cause your teeth to become misaligned. The lower teeth will start to appear as if they are out in front of your upper teeth. The teeth on the upper denture will usually remain in the same approximate position (due to the slower rate of shrinkage on the upper arch) . By rebasing the lower denture you can save the cost of having to have both dentures replaced.

Repairs may be necessary to retain proper function and esthetics. Repairs can involve the replacement of teeth, fractures and broken flanges. These can usually be performed at our clinic in about an hour.

Removal of dentures at night

The general consensus is that dentures should be removed at nighttime. This will allow your ridges and tissues to rest. Dentures should be placed in water or a cleaner ( Sparkledent ). This will prevent any warpage that may occur if dentures are left out in the open air. Be sure to consult with your Denturist as to the proper cleaner to use on temporary or permanent soft liners.