Dentures

A removable denture replaces teeth. 'partial' dentures replace a few missing teeth and 'full' dentures are needed if all the natural teeth are missing. They are made with plastics or sometimes metal to make them strong and less bulky.

What will your dentist do?

• The dentist uses a putty-like material to make moulds of your mouth – called 'impressions'. A dental technician uses them to make plaster models for the denture to be built on.
• The technician will make wax blocks that fit the plaster models. The dentist then trims them to show how teeth should bite together, and the shape to make the denture.
• A trial denture is made and put in your mouth. The dentist will ask you how it fits, feels and looks before they make any final changes.
• The technician will receive the trial denture and will then permanently fix the teeth. It is then ready to use.

The dentist may want to see you again fairly soon to see how you are getting on with the denture. If there is a problem the dentist will make small adjustments. They call making small adjustments 'easing 'your dentures.

How do I look after a denture?

• Clean the denture over a basin of water so that it does not break if you drop it.
• Brush the denture inside and out with a toothbrush every day. Use a soft-to-medium brush so that you do not scratch the denture. Use your normal toothpaste, or soap and water. Then rinse the denture.
• Ask your dentist about denture-soaking solution. Soaking a denture will not clean it. You also need to brush it. Rinse the denture before you put it back in your mouth.
• Take a denture out at night to let your mouth rest. If you wear plastic shoes 24 hours a day, your feet will become smelly and swollen even if you wash them well. Dentures do the same.
• Keep a denture in clean water or a denture-soaking solution when you are not using it.

What are the benefits?

If you have lost some teeth, dentures can improve the way you look, bite, chew and speak.

• They are custom-made to match your mouth and can be made to look as natural as possible.
• Chewing will be made more efficient.
• The lasting teeth will have protection from wear and tear. Without dentures, the natural teeth may move or tilt, stopping your teeth from biting together properly.
• Dentures can be fitted straight after an extraction and therefore people will not know that you've lost a tooth. These are called 'immediate' dentures.

Dentures will never feel like your own teeth and it can take time to get used to them. If you never have had one before the dentist will provide all the precautions about the difficulties of wearing them as well as all the appropriate actions to look after the denture.