You may be wondering what type of dental restoration is best for you, and you’re thinking about whether dentures are the right option. Dentures are artificial teeth that are made by a prosthetic procedure. They are used to improve the look of your smile and restore the function of your teeth.
If you want to have a beautiful smile that matches the look of your natural teeth, dentures may be the perfect option for you. This dental restoration can also help with your chewing and speaking ability.
Do you want to know about the steps to getting dentures? If you want to learn more about how long it takes to get dentures, continue reading this blog post.
What Are Dentures?
Dentures are removable dental prostheses that replace lost teeth and surrounding tissues. It is usually made in a dental laboratory to create a custom fit designed for you. It can help you eat and speak more quickly if you have missing teeth.
Also Read :- Surprising benefits of Dentures
Dentures also help you prevent losing confidence in your appearance. There are two common types of conventional dentures, which include:
Complete Dentures
Complete dentures are removable devices to restore your mouth’s function. It is used to replace several missing teeth with a natural look. The denture teeth are made of porcelain or acrylic and are held together by an acrylic base. Complete dentures are also an affordable option to improve your smile.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are an artificial replacement for one or more missing teeth. It preserves the placement of your remaining teeth, preventing them from shifting. Partial dentures are more than cosmetic devices that replace some of your teeth, but not your entire upper and lower set of teeth.
These dentures can also enhance chewing and speaking by filling the gaps in your mouth. A partial denture is removable by internal attachments rather than metal clasps to the surrounding crowns.
The Importance of Dentures to Your Oral Health
Dentures are vital for our dental health for a variety of reasons. Here are some reasons why you need dentures:
Improve self-confidence
Missing teeth can make you feel self-conscious about going out in public, talking with friends, and meeting new people. It can affect you psychologically, which can lower your self-esteem. With the help of dentures, you can restore your confidence by restoring your teeth.
Fill the gaps in your teeth
Having oral cavities may require tooth extraction procedures that may cause wide gaps in your mouth. Your smile will be affected by these gaps between your teeth, especially in the front of your mouth. Dentures are tooth replacements used to restore your smile and replace lost teeth.
Improve chewing ability
Dentures may be suitable for your needs if you have trouble eating certain foods. Dentures can also aid in the chewing and biting of food. By replacing missing teeth, dentures can help you chew food more effectively.
Improve speaking problems
Missing teeth can affect your speech and make it difficult for you to participate in conversations. However, wearing dentures eventually helps with speaking problems because it makes you comfortable while talking.
Improve oral health
Dentures support the facial muscles and structures while preventing oral bone loss. Missing teeth can cause the muscles in your face to sag, making you appear older. Replacing lost teeth can enhance your appearance and dental health dramatically.
Moreover, food debris can easily get stuck or trapped in missing teeth, which can make your breath smell bad and cause cavities, gum disease, and tooth decay. This is because germs can quickly grow in these places, which can lead to bad breath and cavities.
Durable
Dentures are made of durable materials that can withstand pressure. Initially, they were created for chewing, but modern-day denture designs also include comfort and aesthetics. Once you get your dentures, you can enjoy all your favourite foods and continue on your normal diet.
What Are the Common Types of Dentures Available?
Different types of dentures or false teeth can be an option to fill the gaps in your teeth. These dentures can come with different uses and advantages. Common types of dentures include:
Complete Dentures
Anyone who has lost all of their natural teeth is likely to be offered complete dentures. These dentures are made from durable plastic called acrylic and can have tinting or shaping that imitates how gum tissue looks to look like real teeth.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are recommended for those who have lost one or more teeth. It can fill some of your teeth in the upper and below your jaw, which helps prevent other teeth from shifting. It fixes your biting problems and brings back the function of your mouth.
Immediate Dentures
Immediate dentures are used after a natural tooth has been extracted and are usually put on the same day. While these options are available, they are not recommended for many patients. As a result, it’s always a good idea to discuss your alternatives with your dentist.
Implant-Supported Dentures
Do you often struggle with loose or ill-fitting dentures? If so, then implant-supported dentures are a great option. Implants are used to secure the denture in place. The denture clips onto the implant component, gaining a solid fit.
What Is the Procedure for Getting New Dentures?
The denture-making process involves several steps. It’s easy to get false teeth, and these are some of the simple steps you’ll go through when you get dentures.
Step # 1 – The Appointment and Treatment Plan
First, a dentist must examine your mouth thoroughly before dentures can be created. The consultation’s main goal is to determine how many teeth need to be extracted and how healthy your remaining teeth and gums are.
There are different options for dentures available for every patient. The dentist will examine your condition during the initial consultation to determine what kind of denture would be best based on your condition. Different denture options include complete dentures, immediate dentures, implant-supported dentures, and partial dentures.
Your dentist will work with you to develop a treatment plan based on your needs and condition. Before the dentist starts the procedure, he or she may ask a few questions and get the final impressions of your teeth.
Step # 2 – Extracting Teeth
Tooth extraction may be performed based on the state of your mouth and the condition of your existing teeth.
The dentist may take a few impressions if you have a tooth that needs extraction. Extractions of teeth may be necessary before attaching dentures to prevent the possible risk of tooth decay. If a tooth extraction procedure is performed, dentures can fill the space left, preventing the other teeth from shifting.
Step # 3 – Taking Impressions
After figuring out what your denture needs are, a few basic impressions of your mouth will be made using digital denture design software.
- Denture length and plane adjustment
We must ensure that the top and lower teeth are correctly aligned for the denture to fit perfectly. We’ll make conventional impressions between the upper and lower jaw. We will ensure that we can achieve the level of accuracy of your bite using a loose-fitting denture and a rim of wax in the position of the teeth so that there is no clicking when you talk or chew.
The cast will then go to the prosthesis laboratory to create digital models for a customised denture. The denture process will continue after the denture teeth are made in the dental laboratory. The results will be used to begin the artificial tooth process for your future dentures.
- Denture wax try-in
The final plastic teeth will replace the loose tray with the final plastic teeth. The final set will resemble a denture in appearance and feel, except that the base will sit loosely on the gums and the teeth will be made of wax rather than the final plastic.
Step # 4 – Final Denture Fitting
It may take weeks for the swelling to reduce and your gums to recover fully. The healing period is determined by the number of teeth taken and the state of your gums at the time of extraction. When the swelling has gone, you will be fitted with your permanent dentures.
Your customised dentures are created from your mouth’s final impression. As a result, the dentures are made to fit flawlessly in your mouth.
Step # 5 – Getting Used To Wearing Your Dentures
Because your removable dentures are new in your mouth, it may take some time for them to adjust throughout your healing time. As soon as you receive your new dentures, your dental expert should have scheduled follow-up appointments with you.
The next dental checkup must be around one week after your final fitting. This is to determine whether there are any sore spots or pressure points. If there are any, your dentist may make minor adjustments.
Step # 6 – Proper Dental Care
The final step is to take care of and maintain your new dentures. Maintaining clean dentures can prevent the oral cavity and make their lives last a long time. Your dentist may recommend including a denture cleaner in your hygiene routine.
Your dentures may grow loose after a period of time, so adjustments and additional procedures may be necessary. Lastly, your dentist will educate you to eat softer foods and keep your mouth clean.
How Long Does It Take to Have a Set of Dentures Made?
In general, creating a new set of dentures takes around six weeks to three months. However, it may take longer depending on whether or not you need a tooth extraction, the duration of the healing period after tooth extraction, and whether or not you need a full denture or partial denture.
Why Do Dentures Take So Long to Make?
Customised Dentures
The making of dentures on a primary impression might produce an ill-fitting denture. Extra appointments may be required to make adjustments for custom final impressions. Sometimes, your dentist may provide temporary dentures while they are working on your denture adjustment.
Using the stone model of your mouth from the preliminary impression, the dentist will then create a more accurate impression using a poly-vinyl material. The final impression can be expected to be more fit, less bulky, and may need just a few adjustments.
Bite Registration by Pin Tracing
Recording the proper bite of the patient is one of the essential steps considered in making a denture. Misaligned teeth can cause bite problems and discomfort. Pin tracers are an extra step in recording the bite and are usually done on the same day as final impressions. Doing this extra recording can help bad bite habits that cause worn dentures. This procedure can save you from other appointments and discomfort.
Appointment for Multiple Waxings
Sometimes, multiple wax try-in appointments may be needed to ensure a good fit for dentures. Multiple wax try-in may require other appointments where changes can be made to your dentures before making them. This procedure ensures the patient’s desired design and properly aligned dentures.
Additional Appointments
Additional appointments are usually discussed during the consultation before starting the treatment. The dentist will examine your mouth to determine if you may need extra dental work done, depending on the condition of your mouth. Sometimes problems may occur in the middle of the denture process, resulting in extra appointments.
What Will It Be Like to Have New Dentures Fitted?
It’s common for your mouth, tongue, and facial muscles to feel strange when your denture is fitted, but this is natural. Daily functions like eating and speaking may require some practice, but it can speed up your healing process if you go slowly.
Your dentist can recommend denture cleanser and adhesives to help you feel more comfortable while wearing your denture. The dentist may require an additional procedure if you have any complications after the process.
How Can You Tell If Your Dentures Are Properly Fitted?
The size of your mouth determines how well your dentures fit. However, your denture may not be correctly fitted if you see these signs.
Sign #1: Slipping
If you are experiencing frequent slips of your dentures, it might be because of fractured or loose dentures. A dentist should check your dentures as soon as possible and get them realigned or replaced if necessary.
Sign #2: Mouth Sores
When wearing properly fitted dentures, you won’t feel any pain or discomfort when wearing them. But if the metal framework is too big for your mouth and fits improperly, it can irritate the soft tissue around the face, which leads to mouth sores.
Sign #3: Constant Pain
An ill-fitting denture can cause constant pain when it touches your gums. The constant movement of loose dentures can hit these sensitive areas and cause discomfort while chewing food.
Sign #4: Having Trouble Eating
Newly attached dentures can make eating challenging. Pain can be a natural occurrence, so soft foods are advised first. However, if the pain continues and your mouth can’t get used to your dentures, it’s a symptom of an ill-fitting denture.
Are Denture Adhesives Necessary?
Denture adhesive keeps dentures in place and makes a layer between your gums and the dentures, which stops them from sliding.
In most cases, denture adhesive is not required to hold dentures in place if they are properly fitted. It is usually used in loose dentures. If you need anything to keep your full or partial dentures in place, talk to your dentist about having them adjusted rather than attempting to fix the problem using adhesive.
How Do You Know When It's Time to Reline Dentures?
If you’re experiencing discomfort from your dentures, or they no longer fit and stay in place, you might need a procedure to refit the denture base, called a “reline.” It’s best not to reline your dentures with over-the-counter relining kits.
Dentures are custom-made to match the shape of a patient’s mouth when they are replaced. Dentures usually last five to ten years, but relining is frequently required because of changes in the shape of the mouth, bone loss in the jaw, and regular wear and tear. Complete and partial detachable dentures should be checked regularly to see whether they need to be relined.
Visit our dental clinic if you think it’s time to reline your dentures. Our dentists can help with this procedure for your dentures to be tight and relined.
Final Thoughts
Dentures are a popular treatment to fill the gaps in your teeth. The procedure of dentures may take a long time to be completed, but the final process can restore your mouth’s proper function. During your initial consultation, our dentist will check the condition of your teeth to determine whether or not dentures are the best dental solution for you.
At Ashburton Dental Centre, we offer different denture options that can fit your needs and improve your smile. We can create customised dentures that fit best for you. Our goal is to give our regular patients high-quality dental services and flexible payment options that will work for them.
If you’re suffering from missing teeth, our dentists can help you smile confidently again! Contact us at (08) 9516 1003 for any questions on how to maintain a healthy mouth. If you have dental insurance, you may also ask our dental team regarding our payment options.
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