Dentures

Walies, chompers, falsies, zombies, clackers, china clippers, and flippers…what ever you want to call them, they have been around since the 7th century BC and can still be relevant today. Especially when missing multiple teeth.

Dentures are custom made false teeth made with acrylic with or without a cobalt chrome framework. They provide function, help with pronunciation, space maintenance, facial contour, aesthetics and are a more economic way of replacing multiple missing teeth.

Thankfully these days they are made with much more advanced techniques and materials but if you’ve not worn a denture before then they will take a while to get used to. There is a period of discomfort, adjustments and rubbing to be expected during the bedding in phase. The amount of bedding in time depends on previous experience, age, residual jaw bone architecture, and amount of teeth being replaced.

Dentures can be used to replace missing teeth when:

  • you've had a denture before

  • bridges or implants are not an option

  • a temporary prothesis needs to be placed

  • there are no remaining teeth

How long do they take to make - From start to finish there is normally around 4 - 5 visits, usually with a week in between each. The dentist will take moulds, do measurements and registrations of your teeth and jaws in a step-by-step approach to allow for the most accurate, aesthetically pleasing, and well fitting dentures possible. After each step the lab work is sent to a specialty, local denture maker.

There may be a period of time where slight adjustments to the denture may be required. It is important to realise that dentures are not natural teeth. Eating, speaking, and controlling the dentures takes time, skill, and muscular control which can take weeks. If the dentures rub causing ulcers or red spots then leave them out as much as possible and call us for the earliest appointment. It is important that the day before the appointment you try to wear the dentures as much as possible to make it easier to spot the red areas for adjustment.

After the initial adjustment you may require follow up visits and reviews for further adjustments. Although one or two adjustments are normal, it is not uncommon to need more, or in converse, not need any.

If a denture is what you require then contact our northside dental clinic today to discuss your available options.