A Guide to Dentures and Denture Care

Patients that have lost teeth typically experience numerous challenges, including reduced chewing ability, speech issues, facial collapse, bone loss and low self-confidence. The longer you go without seeking treatment after tooth loss, the worse these problems become.

If you’ve lost a few or all of your teeth and are ready for a smile transformation, you might want to look into dentures.

A denture is a custom dental prosthesis that consists of a gum-colored base and pontic teeth. Dentures are usually made of porcelain, composite resin, acrylic and acrylic resin. Dentures restore your ability to chew, speak and smile confidently, and are generally ready in as few as two dental visits.

To experience custom-tailored dentures treatment that exceeds your expectations, please get in touch with Lexington Dental Group.

Partials and Full Dentures

Partials dentures are recommended for patients who have lost some of their teeth. They’re a convenient alternative to dental bridges. Individuals who have experienced total tooth loss require complete dentures.

Partial dentures are usually held in place by a combination of dental adhesive and metal clasps. Alternatively, dentures can be supported by tooth implants. Implant-supported dentures offer excellent stability. Patients who have lost all their teeth can benefit from implant-retained dentures, which allow them to leverage the strength of implants and the convenience of dentures while also shortening the treatment process.

The All-On-4® treatment is an example of a procedure that combines implants and dentures. All-On-4 treatment utilizes four implants to support an entire dental arch.

Dentures procedures may vary depending on the needs of the patient.

Dentures Treatment Process

Below is a breakdown of the steps involved in dentures treatment:

Examination

To find out if dentures are ideal for you, your dentist carefully examines your dental health and medical history. The dentist also asks about your treatment expectations and obtains dental x-rays.

Treatment Planning

The dentist lets you know what to expect, discusses the cost of treatment and outlines the treatment timelines.

Prerequisite Treatments

The dentist may perform prerequisite treatments such as dental extraction or dental implant surgery, depending on the patient’s needs. Tooth implant surgery is reserved for patients seeking implant-retained dentures.

Making the Dental Impressions

The dentist obtains your dental impressions. This process requires precision and accuracy to ensure the correct fit. Next, the dentist shares the impressions with the dental lab.

Try-On Appointment

Once the dentures are ready, the dentist calls you back to try them on. Depending on how this goes, the dentist may send the dentures back to the lab for re-setting. If you experience any discomfort during this stage, please let the dentist know.

Final Fitting

Finally, once the dentist determines that your dentures are just the right fit, you can take your new teeth home. Remember, dentures must be cared for properly, or else they will not last as long as they should.

Advantages of Dentures

Patients that have experienced tooth loss who seek dentures do so because of the numerous benefits they provide. These include:

• Restoring your chewing ability and self-confidence.
• Easy and quick to obtain (in as few as two dental visits!)
• Preventing facial collapse.
• Dentures don’t involve surgery.
• Dentures don’t require the reshaping of adjacent teeth.
• Dentures are easy to clean.
• Dentures are safe and ideal for patients of all ages.

How to Care for Dentures

Just like regular teeth, dentures require care. Taking proper care of your dentures extends their lifespan. We recommend keeping the following denture care tips in mind:

• Keep your dentures away from hot water, as this can cause them to warp. When cleaning your dentures, use cold or room temperature water. Anything hotter than this is detrimental to your dentures’ shelf life.
• Soak your dentures in water or denture-soaking solution overnight to prevent them from drying out and losing their shape.
• Schedule regular dental exams with your dentist so the dentist can keep an eye on the state of your dental prosthesis. Worn dentures may need repair or replacement, depending on the degree of damage.
• Clean your dentures gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush and mild dish soap or denture cleanser. Cleaning should be done daily.
• Rinse your dentures before and after use.
• Contact your dentist if your dentures start to feel loose.

For exceptional and patient-tailored dentures services, reach out to Lexington Dental Group today.