Dentures

Your dental health may have deteriorated to the point where all of your natural teeth require extraction. In this case, our doctors can help you with the placement of a comfortable, natural-looking complete denture (meaning either an upper or lower dental plate containing a full set of teeth, or both if you require a full set of dentures).

While this is a difficult choice to face, today's technology allows us to create dentures which are the most natural in appearance and comfortable-fitting ever.

After extraction of your teeth, the healing period may take from six to eight weeks up to several months. A conventional denture is placed after healing has occurred.

It is also possible to place an immediate denture as soon as the teeth are removed. The doctor takes measurements and makes models of your jaws at a preliminary visit so that the dentures can be prepared ahead of time.

Immediate dentures prevent the need to go without teeth during the healing period. However, bone and gum tissue shrinks during healing and over the first six months after the teeth have been removed. Immediate dentures may become loose and will need rebasing or relining to fit if this occurs, or a conventional denture can be created at that time.

Your dentures will be crafted to closely resemble your natural teeth so that your appearance will remain the same. And dentures may even fill out your face and profile and improve the appearance of your smile because of the good support they'll provide in place of lost and deteriorated teeth.

Dentures require special care and you must still clean the tissues of your mouth — your gums, tongue, and palate — to maintain your oral health. It will also take a little practice to learn to chew and speak with your new dentures. The doctor and hygienist will talk with you about home oral hygiene, answer all of your questions, and help you to make the adjustment to wearing your new dentures in health and comfort.