Dentures Dentures are constructed of hard acrylic or a combination of metal and plastic. They can replace a single missing tooth or all of the natural teeth. Full dentures stay in place by resting on the gums. Fitting a set of dentures usually takes several visits with the dentist. Although dentures look natural and fit well, they will not be as comfortable as your natural teeth. Be sure to regularly clean both your dentures and natural teeth as well as cleaning and massaging your gums. Remember that it’s important to have your dentures checked regularly and your general oral health checked regularly.

Immediate Dentures An immediate denture is a complete denture or partial denture inserted on the same day, immediately following the removal of natural teeth. There are several advantages of an immediate denture. The most important factor is that you will never need to appear in public without teeth. It is also easier to duplicate the shape, color and arrangement of your natural teeth while some are still present in your mouth. When an immediate denture is inserted at the time of extraction, it will act as a Band-Aid to protect the tissues and reduce bleeding. The biggest disadvantage is the increased cost. Another disadvantage is that you cannot always see how the denture will look before the teeth are extracted and the immediate denture is inserted. Also, initially, an immediate denture does not always fit as accurately as a conventional denture, which is made after the tissues have healed for six to eight weeks following extractions, and without wearing a denture. After the soft tissues have healed and shrinkage of the underlying bone has occurred (about six months following extractions), the immediate denture must be finalized by a permanent reline or new denture. At this time, you will be charged for either a reline or a new denture, depending on your choice.
Your doctor will discuss with you the pros and cons of a permanent reline versus making a new denture, to help you make a decision. A major advantage to making a new denture is that the immediate denture can be a spare denture if the new denture breaks, is misplaced, or has to be repaired or relined in our laboratory. If the immediate denture is relined, it will usually need to be left overnight while it is permanently relined in the laboratory.

Partials Partials or bridges contain replacement teeth to fill in the gap where teeth are missing. It is important to fill this space not only for cosmetic reasons but also for health reasons. Teeth will move and shift, the bite can be affected and other teeth can be damaged. Partials are generally made of porcelain and look exactly like real teeth. Molds are made to correctly fit the teeth. Some partials are removable, but usually partials are attached to surrounding teeth. With proper care, partials are very durable.

Relines A hard reline can be done in a dental office with office cured acrylic, or be sent to a dental laboratory and processed in a laboratory cured plastic. Denture relines are necessary to increase retention of old, existing dentures or new dentures that have lost retention.