Dentures

A denture is a removable appliance that carries artificial teeth on a base shaped to fit your gums. A complete denture replaces a whole arch and rests on the ridge of bone under the gum. A partial denture fills the spaces where some natural teeth remain and is held by clasps or precision attachments on those teeth.

An upper complete denture is held largely by suction across the palate and is usually stable. A lower complete denture has far less surface to hold on to, and the tongue, lips and floor of the mouth move against it constantly, so a lower denture is always looser than an upper one. That is a feature of the anatomy and not a fault in the denture, and where a lower denture cannot be tolerated, implants can be used to anchor it.

The ridge of bone under a denture slowly shrinks over the years once teeth are gone. A denture that fits today will loosen, so relining or remaking at intervals is part of owning one.

No anaesthetic is needed and nothing is cut. The work is a series of short appointments in the dental chair over roughly three to six weeks, each taking 20 to 45 minutes.

The first visit takes a preliminary impression, from which a custom tray is made. The second takes an accurate working impression in that tray, capturing the ridge and the way your cheeks and tongue move around it. A third visit records how your jaws meet and how high the teeth should sit, using wax blocks.

At the try-in visit the teeth are set in wax and placed in your mouth so you can see the shape, the shade and the fullness of the lip, and speak with them in. This is the point at which changes are easy, so say what you think about the appearance then. The finished denture is fitted at the last visit, checked for pressure points and bite, and you are shown how to insert, remove and clean it.

Where teeth are being removed, the ridge changes shape for three to six months afterwards. A denture made immediately will need relining or remaking once the shape has settled.

There is nothing to heal, and there is a learning period.

Sore spots are usual in the first one to two weeks as the base beds in, and they are relieved by small adjustments at review visits. Return to have them eased instead of enduring them or trimming anything yourself; an early appointment is the normal part of the process.

Speech feels odd for the first week or two and reading aloud for ten minutes a day speeds it up. Eating is learned in stages: start with soft food cut small, place it on both sides at once instead of biting at the front, and add harder foods over the following weeks. Most people are managing a normal range of food at four to eight weeks, and some foods never become comfortable.

Leave the denture out overnight, clean it with a brush and soap or a denture cleaner over a basin of water, and store it in water so it does not dry out. Keep an annual review even when all feels well, so that the fit and the tissues underneath are checked.