Dentures are custom-made dental appliances for restoring your smile. Whether you’re missing a few teeth or all of them, they can help improve your appearance, speech, and ability to eat comfortably. Modern dentures are more natural-looking and comfortable than ever before.
If you’re considering dental appliances as a solution for missing teeth, WA Dental offers high-quality, custom-fitted appliances tailored to your needs. Visit our office today to learn more about how they can improve your quality of life and oral health.
How do dentures work?
Dentures are removable appliances that replace missing teeth and help restore your smile. They rest on the gums that cover the jawbones and are designed to look and function like natural teeth. Modern appliances are made from durable materials that closely resemble the appearance of natural gum tissue and teeth, making them more comfortable and natural-looking than ever before.
Why would a person get dentures?
- Missing multiple teeth – When several teeth are missing, dental appliances can restore the ability to chew properly and speak clearly while maintaining facial structure.
- Complete tooth loss – Complete Appliances provide a full replacement for those who have lost all their teeth due to injury, decay, or gum disease.
- Prevention of facial sagging – Facial muscles can sag due to tooth loss, making a person look older; dental appliances help maintain facial dimensions and structure.
- Improvement in speech – Many sounds require teeth for proper pronunciation; dental appliances help restore clear speech patterns affected by tooth loss.
- Enhanced self-confidence – A restored smile can significantly improve self-esteem and social comfort for those embarrassed by missing teeth.
How long do dentures stay in?
They are typically worn during waking hours and removed at night to give the gum tissues time to rest and be cleansed by saliva. Most dentists recommend removing them for at least six to eight hours daily, usually while sleeping. This practice helps prevent potential irritation, infection, and bone loss from wearing dental appliances continuously. However, some newer denture types supported by dental implants may be designed for extended wear periods or even permanent placement.
5 Types of Dentures
Complete Dentures
Complete dentures replace all the teeth in either the upper or lower jaw, or both. They rest directly on the gum tissue and are held in place by suction, muscles of the cheeks and tongue, and sometimes denture adhesives. Upper complete appliances cover the roof of the mouth (palate), while lower complete appliances are horseshoe-shaped to accommodate the tongue. Modern complete appliances are custom-designed to match the natural appearance of your face, providing both functionality and aesthetic benefits.
Partial Dentures
Partial types are used when some natural teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw. They fill in the spaces left by missing teeth and prevent other teeth from shifting position. These types consist of replacement teeth attached to a gum-colored plastic base, which is sometimes connected by a metal framework that holds the denture in place. Partial types often have clasps or precision attachments that anchor to your natural teeth, providing stability and preventing the denture from moving.
Immediate Dentures
Immediate appliances are placed immediately after teeth are extracted, allowing patients to avoid being without teeth while they heal. They are made in advance based on models of your jaws. While convenient initially, they require more adjustments during the healing process as gums and bones naturally reshape. They are typically considered a temporary solution until conventional types can be made after complete healing, usually within 6-8 months.
Implant-Supported Dentures
Implant-supported dentures are anchored to dental implants surgically placed in the jawbone. They snap onto attachments connected to the implants, providing exceptional stability compared to conventional types. With implant support, there’s less shifting during talking and eating, and no need for denture adhesives. This option also helps preserve bones in the jaw that would otherwise deteriorate after tooth loss, making them a more long-term solution for tooth replacement.
Economy Dentures
Economy dentures are a more affordable option made with basic materials and fewer customization features. They come in standard sizes and shapes rather than being precisely customized to an individual’s mouth. While they do replace missing teeth, they typically don’t look as natural or fit as comfortably as custom types. For patients with budget constraints, they can be a starting point, though many eventually upgrade to custom options for better comfort and appearance.
How are dentures made?
- Initial impressions – Your dentist takes preliminary impressions of your jaws and remaining teeth to create custom trays for more detailed impressions later.
- Final impressions – Using custom trays, more precise impressions capture the exact contours of your gums and any remaining teeth to ensure proper fit.
- Bite registration – The dentist records how your jaws relate to each other when closed to ensure the appliances will allow proper chewing motion.
- Wax try-in – Teeth are arranged in wax for you to preview; this step allows adjustment of tooth position, size, and color before the final denture is made.
- Laboratory fabrication – Dental technicians create the denture base from acrylic resin that mimics gum tissue and position artificial teeth in the base according to the approved design.
- Fitting and adjustments – The completed denture is fitted in your mouth, with adjustments made for comfort and function; several follow-up appointments may be necessary for a perfect fit.
- Final delivery – Once properly adjusted, you receive your finished dental appliance with instructions for care and maintenance to ensure its longevity.
Are there alternatives to dentures?
Dental Implants
Dental implants are titanium posts surgically placed into the jawbone to replace tooth roots, providing a strong foundation for fixed replacement teeth. Unlike dentures, implants don’t slip or shift in your mouth and don’t require removal for cleaning. They also help preserve bone that naturally deteriorates when teeth are lost. Dental implants are considered the gold standard for tooth replacement because they look, feel, and function most like natural teeth, though they require adequate bone density and good overall health.
Dental Bridges
Dental bridges literally “bridge” the gap created by one or more missing teeth by anchoring to natural teeth on either side of the space. Unlike removable partial dentures, bridges are fixed in place and aren’t taken out for daily cleaning. They’re an excellent option when missing teeth are adjacent to healthy teeth that can support the bridge. Bridges are considered when patients want a fixed solution but may not be candidates for dental implants due to health concerns, bone loss, or budget constraints.
Implant-Supported Bridges
Implant-supported bridges combine the stability of dental implants with the comprehensive coverage of bridges. Instead of using natural teeth as anchors, these bridges attach to dental implants in the jawbone. This alternative is particularly valuable when multiple adjacent teeth are missing, as it doesn’t require an implant for each missing tooth. Implant-supported bridges offer the benefits of both technologies, the stability and bone preservation of implants with the full coverage of bridges. This makes them an excellent middle-ground option.
4 Benefits of Choosing Dentures
Improved Appearance and Self-Confidence
Dental appliances fill out the facial profile and restore a natural-looking smile, often making wearers appear younger and more vibrant. They can help restore confidence in social and professional interactions. Modern types are designed with aesthetics in mind. They have customizable tooth shapes, sizes, and shades that match your natural appearance or even improve your original smile.
Restored Eating and Speaking Abilities
They help restore the ability to chew a wider variety of foods, improving nutrition and meal satisfaction that might be difficult with missing teeth. They also support clear speech by replacing teeth needed to form certain sounds, particularly consonants that require tongue-to-tooth contact. While there is an adjustment period, most denture wearers ultimately find significant improvement in speech clarity and chewing function compared to having missing teeth.
Cost-Effective Solution
Compared to other tooth replacement options like dental implants, dentures are more affordable. This makes them accessible to a broader range of patients, including those with budget constraints or insurance limitations. Additionally, many dental insurance plans provide better coverage for dentures than for implants, further reducing out-of-pocket expenses for patients who need to replace multiple missing teeth.
Non-Invasive Treatment
Unlike dental implants that require surgery, conventional dentures are a non-invasive option requiring no surgical procedures if teeth have already been lost. This makes them suitable for patients who may not be candidates for surgery due to health concerns, medication use, or bone loss in the jaw. Their non-surgical nature also means shorter treatment times from start to finish, allowing patients to restore their smile more quickly than with implant-based solutions.
How to care for your dentures?
- Daily cleaning – Brush your appliances daily with a soft-bristled brush and non-abrasive denture cleaner to remove food particles and plaque; avoid regular toothpaste which can be too abrasive for denture materials.
- Rinsing after meals – Remove and rinse them after eating to eliminate food particles that can cause irritation and odor.
- Overnight soaking – Place them in water or a mild denture-soaking solution overnight to keep them moist and maintain their shape; never use hot water which could warp the denture.
- Handle with care – Always stand over a folded towel or basin of water when handling your dental appliances to prevent breakage if dropped; they can be fragile and expensive to replace.
- Regular dental check-ups – Visit your dentist regularly for professional denture cleaning and to check for proper fit and any needed adjustments or signs of oral issues.
- Avoid harmful products – Keep them away from bleach-containing products, whitening toothpastes, and hot water, all of which can damage denture materials.
- Remove for sleeping – Unless specifically instructed otherwise by your dentist, remove your appliances while sleeping to allow gum tissues to rest and be bathed in saliva’s natural cleaning action.
- Watch for changes in fit – If they begin to feel loose or uncomfortable, see your dentist promptly; poorly fitting dentures can cause irritation and oral health problems.
Conclusion
Dentures remain one of the most practical and accessible solutions for replacing missing teeth, offering improvements in appearance, speech, and eating ability. With proper care and regular professional maintenance, today’s dentures can provide years of comfortable use while maintaining oral health and preserving facial structure. Modern materials and techniques have greatly enhanced both the look and function of dentures compared to those of previous generations.
For personalized advice about whether dentures are right for you, schedule an appointment with WA Dental. Our experienced team can evaluate your specific needs and help you determine if complete dentures, partial dentures, or alternative options would best restore your smile. Take the first step toward a confident smile and improved quality of life by contacting our office today.
