Complete and Partial Dentures

If you have experienced loss of your natural teeth from periodontal disease, tooth decay, or injury it can often be uncomfortable and embarrassing. Complete dentures, also called full dentures, can provide a lasting, comfortable solution. Your appearance and your health will benefit from replacing missing teeth. Without support from the denture, facial muscles sag, making a person look older. Dentures are made of durable materials resulting in a natural smile and can last for years when cared for properly. Even if you wear full dentures, you must take good care of your mouth. Brush your gums, tongue and palate every morning with a soft-bristled brush before you insert your dentures to stimulate circulation in your tissues and help remove plaque.

Conventional Full Denture Placement

The conventional method of placing dentures is performed in two or more dental visits over a period of several months. During the first visit, the dentist gently removes the remaining teeth, then allows the mouth and gums to heal over the next several months. Once the mouth has healed the dentist uses the second visit to place the full dentures and adjust them to fit securely. In about one or two weeks, the gums and mouth tissues adjust to the dentures, and chewing and speaking with the dentures will begin to feel natural. Full dentures are made to resemble your natural teeth so that little change in your mouth will be noticeable. In fact, dentures will often improve a smile as well as appearance of the face and profile.

Immediate Full Denture Placement

For patients with adequate gum health, immediate placement of full dentures can be a convenient option, since it eliminates the lengthy healing stage involved in conventional placement. Immediate placement is performed in two dental visits about one to two weeks apart. During the first visit, the dentist takes casts of the mouth. Once the dentures are ready, usually in about one to two weeks, the patient returns for a second visit in which the dentist carefully removes any remaining teeth and then immediately places the dentures.

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