Dentures

Definition: also referred to as false teeth - removable appliances made of acrylic, nylon or metal that replace missing teeth and surrounding tissue/structures. 

There are two types of dentures:

• Complete - the appliance replaces all your upper or lower teeth, and it can be:
  • Conventional - the dentures will be placed in your mouth after the removal of the remaining teeth and the healing of the adjacent tissues of the entire upper or lower teeth. This process take from 8 to 12 weeks, time in which you will be without teeth on that particular side;
  • Immediate - the dentures will be placed the same day that the remaining teeth are removed. Even if immediate dentures have the benefit of not having to be without teeth, the downside is that they will have to be relined or even replaced with conventional dentures after several months. This is explained by the fact that the jawbone reshapes during the healing process and the immediate denture may become loose. 
• Partial - when the appliance replaces only one, or a few missing teeth, that is supported by a metal framework attached to your natural teeth, or to a crown specially designed for some of them.

How does it work?

If you are having immediate dentures, on the first visit the doctor will take a series of impressions and measurements of your teeth, bone and surrounding structures to prepare the denture model. This way, on the second visit, the doctor will place the denture into your mouth after removing the remaining teeth, and then make the necessary adjustments. However, if the denture will become loose in time (due to the reshaping of the bone in the healing process), you may need another visit for relining or maybe consider having conventional dentures.
If you are having the conventional ones you will need more than one visit. First your doctor will take impressions and remove your remaining teeth. On the second visit (after the bone is healed, usually 2-3 months), the doctor will place the dentures into your mouth and make the necessary adjustments.

What are the risks?

• Plaque formation in cases of poor oral hygiene - due to food particles that favor bacterial infections;
• Falling off of the dentures;
• Difficulty in eating and speaking for the first period of time;
• Discomfort if the dentures do not fit perfectly;

How to prepare for the procedure?

• You should avoid drinking alcohol and smoking at least 24 h before the tooth extraction procedure.
• You should not drink or eat anything 6 hours before the procedure.

How long does the procedure take?

It depends on the number of teeth extracted, and measurements taken.for the denture  You should know that it will be a long appointment so don’t plan anything after that, especially because afterwards you’ll also feel pain and discomfort.

How to recover after the procedure?

If you are having a complete denture and just had your teeth removed:

• You may be prescribed antibiotics before and several days after the procedure;
• Pain is manageable with medication;
• To ease the pain and swelling you could put an ice pack on your face, on the area of the extracted teeth;
• Avoid heavy rinsing of the mouth, drinking from a straw, spitting and smoking for the first 2-3 days after the procedure to avoid pulling out the blood clot formed in the socket;
• You can gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water;
• During the first couple of days after the procedure eat only soft and cool food;
• During the first day after the procedure avoid heavy exercise and activities that involve keeping your head down;
• Sleep with a bigger pillow to avoid bleeding.

After you had the denture:

• The first couple of days or weeks you will have difficulty eating and speaking, and that’s why you should eat soft food or cut it into tiny pieces, and try to speak as much as possible to get adjusted faster;
• For the first couple of weeks, you will have to wear the denture full-time. After you feel adjusted you could take them off before bedtime, but place them in a glass of water or antibacterial solutions;
• It is important to have good oral hygiene and regularly brush your denture to remove food deposits and periodically soak them in a fizzy solution of dental cleaning tablets, but also don’t forget to clean/brush your gums and tongue;
• Avoid chewing gum or eating other sticky food;
• Occasionally you may use adhesive to fixate your denture, but note that if they are falling off easily, you may need an appointment with your doctor to make adjustments or even change them. If you use adhesive, read the instructions carefully, and use them exactly as directed

For those interested in Dentures, we have a range of Denture Packages to explore.

Our articles on Dental Bridges and Dental Crowns offer more insight into similar restorative procedures.