You’ve been consulting with your denturist and decided that you need dentures. Where do you start? What are your options? Don’t worry—with a little bit of knowledge and some expert guidance, your denture journey will be smooth sailing.
Types Of Dentures:
- Partial Dentures: This option is for patients who still have some teeth remaining. Removable and partial, these dentures are intended for patients who need replacement teeth for function, aesthetic, or both. These can be taken out and put in by the patient themselves.
- Implant Dentures: This option is for patients who have significant bone loss or who want the convenience of a stabilized prosthetic. As the name suggest, these dentures are placed over dental implants in the patient’s mouth.
- Full Dentures: This option is a full removable prosthetic device. This is for patients lacking all of their teeth, and is supported by soft and hard tissues in your mouth. Because of this, the fit of the dentures is incredibly important for comfort and functionality.
Step By Step:
- Measurements: The denturist will need to take impressions of your mouth. They will also assess your upper and lower jaws and measure the space between them.
- Initial Cast: From the measurements, your denturist will create a new set of teeth set up in wax. This denture with teeth set up in wax will be used to help determine the correct shape, fit, and colour. Changes will be made as needed.
- Final Cast: After the changes have been made, it is time to process the denture in order for the denturist to make the final version.
- Regular Checkups: Once you have your brand new set of dentures, make sure to come in for regular checkups. This is to ensure the comfort and longevity of your prosthetic.
Broken down into steps, the denture process isn’t too intimidating. Arm yourself with knowledge and a great denturist, and you will be sure to have a great experience. You’ll wonder why you didn’t try for dentures sooner!
