Making the decision to finally get dentures can be a difficult one. Many people are afraid of pain, cost and stigma when it comes to making the decision to get dentures. Luckily, with a prosthodontist at your side, the process can be simple and efficient, bringing you from a painful dental situation to a comfortable smile again.
You might notice some changes in your mouth that tell you it is time to consider dentures. Pain is a good indicator, especially if it is accompanied by swelling or bleeding in your gums. Chewing may become difficult.
If you have teeth that are visibly damaged or that have widening gaps between them, it is likely a matter of time before you will need to replace them. Staying up-to-date with your dental checkups can help you keep track of damage before it turns into an urgent situation.
The Process
Once the decision is made to outfit you with dentures, the process will take 4-6 weeks. Over this span of time, you will attend several appointments. Each of these will be used to advance the fabrication of your dentures.
The first appointment will involve preliminary impressions. These are made with a custom impression tray. It is inserted into your mouth and a soft material takes an impression of your gum line.
You will return for a second impression. This time a seal is used on the denture. From this, a final impression can be made.
Your prosthodontist will take thorough records, including a bite registration in three dimensions. In an effort to make your dentures look and feel like your natural teeth, design decisions can be applied at this point to match the color and shape of your natural teeth.
The next step in the process will be a wax try in, which is a wax approximation of how your dentures will be made. The wax try in gives you a chance to see how the dentures will look, including checking for any bite misalignment. Overall fit should be assessed and any notes about changes to be made.
After these careful steps, your final dentures will be made. When they arrive, you will have the opportunity to make adjustments with your prosthodontist. For most people, three appointments is all that is needed to get the dentures feeling right.
At Advanced Prosthodontics, much of this process is done in house by Dr. Hersh. For the final dentures, Dr. Hersh sends them to Rochester Technical Group. They are made there with the Ivocap Injection Technique. Any adjustments needed in the first six months are included in the cost.
If now is the time to replace your teeth with dentures, get in touch with Dr. Hersh at Advanced Prosthodontics by calling (610) 865-4222 today.