Denture Preparation and Placement
During the first dental visit to evaluate the need for dentures, your dentist will examine your gums and supporting bone structure to identify the appropriate treatment plan.
In some cases, oral surgery is performed to correct bony ridges that may interfere with the stability of the denture. In other cases, the remaining teeth may need to be extracted before dentures can be placed. Once your dentist has decided that dentures are right for you, he will make an impression of the gums to identify every ridge and crevice to ensure the best denture fit possible.
In cases where teeth need to be removed, an immediate denture is typically placed to enable proper healing of the extraction sites and serve as an esthetic replacement for natural teeth. The immediate dentures can be easily modified for changing ridge contours during healing until final dentures can be made. In constructing the immediate dentures, dentists will use a shade and mold chart to choose replacement teeth that will most closely match your natural teeth, minimizing any changes in appearance.
Placing the Final Dentures
Complete dentures are made when gums are restored to a healthy condition and sufficient time has passed for healing. Complete dentures replace all teeth in the upper or lower jaws of the mouth. Gums will naturally shrink through the healing process of tooth loss, which normally takes from six to 12 months. During this period the immediate dentures may require adjustments to accommodate the changes in the gums and underlying bone structure. This could include soft and hard relining procedures made to the immediate denture.
An overdenture is a removable dental prosthesis that covers and rests on one or more remaining tooth roots. A removable partial denture is a dental prosthesis that replaces some teeth and is built around existing natural teeth. Both the overdenture and the removable partial denture may be connected to the remaining tooth roots or remaining natural teeth with anchors made of metal or plastic. These connections improve stability and the retention of both prostheses.
Complete dentures, overdentures, and removable partial dentures should be removed at night while you sleep. This enables the gums to be bathed by saliva, which has important properties for controlling the naturally occurring flora found in the oral cavity. Saliva aids in maintaining a healthy mouth.