Replacing your missing or damaged teeth will benefit not only your appearance but your overall health. Using state-of-the-art technology and updated materials, dentures can now be custom designed to look more natural and feel more comfortable.
It may take some time to adjust to your dentures. Speaking and eating may feel different at first, but these regular activities will resume normally once you are accustomed to your dentures.
Full & Partial Dentures by Livermore Dentists
Dentures are removable appliances created to replace missing teeth and help bring back your smile. Losing your natural teeth is common, whether from gum disease, tooth decay, or injury. Dentures are a replacement for these missing teeth. They are beneficial for not only your appearance but your health. They make it easier to eat and speak, a lot better than when you didn’t have teeth. Dentures are formed to your mouth and can either be full or partial, which basically means that they can either replace all your teeth or just a few.
How do dentures work?
How do they work?
Full dentures include a flesh-colored acrylic base, which fits over your gums. The base of the upper denture covers the roof of your mouth, while the lower denture is shaped like a horseshoe to make room for your tongue.
After your dentist takes an impression, they send it to a dental laboratory so that they can custom make your dentures. During your initial exam, your dentist will determine which type of dentures will be best for you.
Here are types of dentures our Livermore dentist would recommend to you:
- Conventional Full Denture: A conventional full denture is ready to be placed in your mouth once all your remaining teeth are taken out and the tissues are healed. Unfortunately, because healing may take several months, which means that you will spend this time without teeth.
- Immediate Full Denture: An immediate full denture is inserted directly after your remaining teeth are pulled. Before this, your dentist will take measurements and have a model of your jaw made. While getting immediate dentures means that you will never have to deal with being without your teeth, they will eventually need to be relined a few months after being placed. This happens because as the bone supporting the teeth heals, it reshapes and causes the denture to loosen.
- Partial Denture: A partial denture is removable and usually consists of replacement teeth being attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base, sometimes connected by metal framework that holds the denture in place or they can have other connectors that are more natural looking called precision attachments. Precision attachments are usually used for more aesthetic reasons.
How to take good care of your dentures
Regardless of the type of dentures you get, you will need to clean they daily and regular as if they were regular teeth. Though dentures are artificial teeth, bacteria, plaque, and tartar still build upon them and can still have a negative effect on your gums. To clean your dentures, all you need to do is take them out and clean them in running water, which will dislodge any food particles stuck between the teeth, gum line, and underneath the structure. There are specialized denture toothbrushes, which you can use to brush your dentures with either mild soap or denture cleaner. Don’t use any other cleaners, regular toothpaste, or an electric toothbrush. They are too rough and could wear down the denture materials.
You should also clean your gums and any natural teeth you still have when you don’t have dentures in your mouth with a very soft, wet toothbrush. Toothpaste that is fluoridated is recommended, if you do use it. Even simply using a wet, soft washcloth and softly rub your gums will be enough.
Dentures with our Livermore Dentists
At Foothill Dental Care, we are more than willing to talk to you about any concerns you have about dentures. Our Livermore dentists specialize in restorative and cosmetic dentistry. Schedule a free consultation with us to see if a denture is the right option for you. Call (925) 961-5484 now to schedule an appointment at Foothill Dental Care in Livermore, CA.
Most full dental insurance policies have some restorative coverage included, which generally means that you will have around 50% of the cost of your dentures is covered. Regular deductibles and co-pays will still apply, so the actual cost can be substantial. Talk to us about financing and we can help figure out a solution for you.
Dentures eventually need to be replaced, though if they are taken care of properly, they can last several years. It is definitely recommend getting new dentures every five to eight years. They can get worn out due to regular use and your gums changing shape or shrinking over time.
The best thing you can do if you have broken your dentures is to contact the prosthodontist who made your dentures. They can be repaired by a professional and though it may seem like it’d be an easy fix, it is important that the repair is done the right way so that you don’t develop any problems with chewing or sore spots. If the denture is too old, your dentist may recommend that you get a new one made.
Most patients have to learn how to properly use dentures, though can take a little time to get used to them. After a while, like anything new, you will be able to eat normally. It may take a little more time to get used to eating comfortably with harder and sticky foods. While you learn to get comfortable with them, denture adhesive may be enough to stabilize the dentures and help hold them in place. Dentures and chewing gum are not a good combination, no matter what brand you try.
When you have teeth removed, the bone that held the them will slowly shrink over time. This doesn’t happen to everyone, but it’s normal thing to happen after a teeth extraction. This is why it is so important to make sure that your dentures are made properly and to keep minimum stress on the bone. You will more than likely not have all the bone you started with when you first had your teeth pulled. You should see a dentist to have your mouth examined and be assured that you have good oral health, including the bone level where your dentures will be placed.