|
 Partial
Dentures
A partial denture is a removable
appliance that replaces missing teeth. It is
held in place by your existing teeth. It is
important that these teeth are healthy in
order to support your partial; often they
may need treatment prior to making the
partial. A partial can restore esthetics and
function to your mouth. Since you lost some
teeth you may find it more difficult to chew
as well as you used to. The partial can give
you back much of this function, though
 not
as much as natural teeth. A partial can also
help stabilize your remaining teeth. This
stabilization can minimize tooth drift, bite
changes, and periodontal problems. Each partial is custom made to fit your
mouth. Each of the following steps is needed
to assure proper fit, function, and
esthetics of your denture:
Appointment 1 - Full exam of mouth done
including teeth, gums, jaws, soft tissues,
bite, etc. Impressions are made of your
teeth for study models. These are used to
custom design your partial. If any teeth are
found to have decay or periodontal needs
these problems are addressed at this
appointment as well. It is important to
address the foundation teeth prior to making
the denture, just as you would want a strong
foundation for your house.
Appointment 2 - The teeth may be
slightly altered in shape in order to
ideally fit the design we have made for you.
This reshaping involves very minor changes
to the enamel which does not even need
anesthesia it is so slight. An accurate
impression is made of the teeth and
supporting gum tissues.
Appointment 3 - Your partial is made of
metal structure with acrylic teeth and gums
to look natural. At this appointment we try
in the metal portion and adjust as
necessary. Bite records are taken. Sometimes
we will have the teeth set in wax at this
point to make sure the bite and esthetics
are good.
 Appointment
4 - Partial is tried in and adjusted to fit.
Usually you will return in 24 - 48 hours to
adjust any sore areas that develop. We may
require more follow up appointments as
needed until the partial is comfortable. It will take you some time to get used
to your new partial. Eating and speaking
will seem awkward at first, but with time
you will learn how to use your partial. Keep
in mind that each person will vary in how
quickly they will adapt.
 Complete
Dentures
Complete dentures are used to replace
teeth when there are no teeth remaining. The
teeth are prefabricated acrylic which comes
in many sizes, shapes, and shades. They are
processed into a custom made acrylic base
which is made to intimately and comfortably
fit the gum tissue in your mouth. Making a quality complete set of
dentures usually takes five appointments.
Every patient presents with a unique shape
of their oral tissue and relationship of
their upper and lower jaws. Each patient
also has unique esthetic requirements
depending on the size, shape, and tone of
their face and jaws. Each of these five
appointments is crucial for a final denture
which looks, fits, and works well.
Appointment 1 - Complete exam of jaws,
soft tissues inside and outside the mouth.
Oral cancer screening. Initial impression
made.
Appointment 2 - Highly accurate
impression taken using custom made
impression tray.
Appointment 3 - Wax rims on plastic
bases used. Wax is altered to establish
proper bite and orientation of the denture
teeth for the lab. Shape, size, and shade of
teeth selected.
Appointment 4 - Try-in step. At this
point the lab has set the premade plastic
teeth into the wax rim according to our
directions. Bite and orientation is checked.
Esthetics evaluated by doctor and patient.
Appointment 5 - Final denture. The
lab has now processed the premade teeth onto
a hard, tissue colored acrylic base.
Adjustments are made to the fit and bite. A
24 - 48 hour follow up is needed to check
and adjust any sore spots. A seven day
follow up may be needed as well.
It will take a bit of time to get used
to your new denture, particularly if it is
your first. Unfortunately, a complete
denture will not feel like your teeth did
when you had them. They should, however,
become comfortable and functional with time.
 Speaking
- At first you will have some difficulty
with speaking and this is to be expected.
Some people describe this as trying to talk
with a "mouth full of marbles". Be patient;
you will quickly adapt with practice and
soon you will find you cannot speak properly
without your denture. There is no way to
predict how long this will take, each
patient adapts at a different rate.
Eating - Eating takes practice as well.
The important thing to remember is that you
do not chew with your denture as you did
when you had teeth. Natural teeth chew in an
up and down motion. Denture teeth, on the
other hand, use a side to side motion to
mash down the food. Always cut your food
into small pieces for more effective denture
chewing. It is unpredictable how well you
will adapt to eating. Some patients can chew
just about anything whereas others find they
are limited in how well they can chew. All
patients, however, do improve with practice,
time, and a bit of patience.
 Denture
Fit - Your denture will "settle in" in a
short time and should fit well. We will
gladly adjust for any sore areas that
develop. Upper dentures usually fit snugly
and stay in with suction. The lower denture,
however, does not develop this suction due
to the different shape of the lower jaw. The
lower tends to "float". You will learn with
time how to help hold the lower stable by
the way you use your mouth while eating,
speaking, and resting. Once again, this
takes time and it is not possible to predict
how well each patient will adapt. Denture
adhesives can help, but we recommend you not
use them during the first few weeks of
wearing your new denture.
 Denture
Care - Keep your denture clean by
brushing it with denture toothpaste at least
once a day. Do this over a sink filled with
water to prevent breakage in case you drop
the denture.
Take your denture out every night when you
go to sleep. Letting your denture dry out
will slightly change its shape enough to
adversely affect the fit.
Occasionally soak your denture in a
commercial product such as Efferdent to help
disinfect it. Dilute bleach every month or
so will help reduce fungal growth.
Rinse your mouth with mouthwash (without the
denture) at least once a day to keep your
mouth clean. This helps cut down on the
amount of bacteria and fungus in the mouth
which can lead to bad breath, denture sores
and infections.
Make an appointment as soon as you develop
any sores, change in fit, or any other
problem you would like us to address. |
|
technology
children's care
brushing
sealants
cosmetic fillings
crowns
root canals
TMJ disorders
mouth guards
periodontics
oral cancer screen
implants
partial/complete dentures
snoring
|
