Removable Dentures

What are they?

A removable denture replaces missing teeth. “Partial” dentures replace a few missing teeth and “full” dentures are needed if all the natural teeth are missing. Dentures are made of plastic and sometimes metal as well to make them stronger and less bulky.

What will my dentist do?

• The dentist uses 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 which fit the plaster models. The dentist trims them to show the technician how your 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 trial denture goes back to the technician who permanently fixes the teeth. The denture 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 are problems, they can make small adjustments. Dentists call this “easing” your denture.

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.
• You will be able to chew more efficiently.
• The teeth that are left are protected from wear and tear. Without dentures, the natural teeth may move or tilt, stopping your teeth biting together properly.
• Dentures can be fitted straight after teeth have been taken out so that nobody will know that you have had a tooth out. These are called “immediate” dentures.

Dentures will never feel like you own teeth and it can take time to get used to them. If you haven’t had a denture before, the dentist will want to explain the difficulties of wearing dentures, as well as the benefits and how you should look after your new dentures and the teeth you have left.

Immediate Dentures

These are usually provided in cases where one or more teeth are to be extracted, and this would cause visible gaps, especially in the front teeth. The dentist will take impressions of the teeth before extraction, and the laboratory can construct a denture which includes the teeth being extracted.

The dentist can then take the teeth out and fit the denture on the same day, so the patient does not have gaps at any time.

However, there are some problems with immediate dentures:

• Poor fit – the laboratory technician must ‘guess’ where the gum level will be after extraction
• Discomfort – the plastic denture will tend to rest on the tender gum where the tooth has been removed
• Looseness – the denture will tend to be loose initially, and as the gum heals it shrinks, causing the denture to become looser.

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