Dentures, which can be removed, are used to replace any missing teeth you might have, whether it be from periodontal disease, tooth decay, or traumatic injury. You have two options when it comes to dentures: complete dentures or partial dentures. Complete dentures are for when you are missing all of your teeth and partial dentures are for when you are missing some of your teeth and still have some natural teeth left. As you can imagine, no matter which type of dentures you get, you will go through an adjustment period. Although dentures are designed to be comfortable, functional, and have the same appearance as your natural teeth, they will never feel exactly like your natural teeth. The denture process all starts with deciding which type of denture you need, and your dentist can help you with that decision.
Beginning the Denture Process
The type of denture you get will determine the fit and the function. Your dentures will be custom-made from an impression of your mouth that are taken during preliminary steps. Complete dentures have a flesh-colored acrylic base that fits over your gums. The base of the upper denture will cover the roof of your mouth while the lower denture has a horseshoe shape to accommodate your tongue. If you are getting complete dentures, you have two choices, custom and immediate:
● Custom complete dentures are made after your natural teeth have been removed and your gum tissue has healed. This process varies in time for everyone because it depends on how fast your body heals. The average time span is about 3 to 6 months after your teeth have been removed.
● Immediate complete dentures are made in advance and can be placed right after your natural teeth have been removed. With immediate complete dentures, you don’t have to be without teeth during the gum healing process, however, immediate dentures need to be realigned several months after insertion. Your jaw bones and gums will shrink over time, especially during the healing process after teeth removal so it is best to think of immediate dentures as a temporary solution until custom complete dentures are made.
Besides complete dentures, your other option is a partial denture. A partial denture is made up of replacement teeth attached to a gum-colored plastic base that rests on a metal frame that is attached to your natural teeth. Partial dentures are used when you have one or more natural teeth remaining on your upper or lower jaw. Not only do partial dentures fill in the gaps of your missing teeth, they also keep your natural teeth from moving. Partial dentures are removable, comfortable, and look natural.
Denture Adjustment Process
Initially, your dentures may feel odd and a little loose until the muscles in your cheeks and your tongue learn to keep them in place and you get more comfortable putting them in and taking them out. After getting dentures, it is natural for minor irritation and soreness to occur and for your saliva flow to increase so don’t be worried if you experience any of this. These problems will go away as your mouth gets used to having the dentures in. You will experience a few weeks of discomfort when eating because it will take time to adjust to the new feeling of dentures against food. We recommend that you start by eating soft foods in small pieces as you adjust to your dentures. After adjustment, there are still some foods that you should try to avoid such as hot or hard foods with sharp edges, and extremely sticky foods such as gum.
It will also take a little practice speaking with your dentures. You may have pronunciation issues, but with time you will be speaking normally. If you are experiencing irregularly long periods of discomfort, you should contact your dentist immediately. Your dentures may need repositioning as they can occasionally fall out due to laughing, coughing, or smiling. For more information on the denture process, call Doctor Ronald Hersch today at (610) 865-4222.