Dentures
When a person’s dental health has gone completely south and they are missing all or most of their teeth, and any remaining teeth are damaged enough to need extraction, there are two choices. The person can choose to go on without any teeth, limiting their diet based upon what they can eat without much chewing. Or they can come see Dr. Gonzalez and her team and have a set of custom dentures made.
It’s not really much of a decision. At Gonzalez Dental Care, we have extensive experience fitting dentures for our patients who have lost many, most, or even all of their teeth. Our expertise ensures your dentures will fit great and give you a great-looking smile.
It’s not really much of a decision. At Gonzalez Dental Care, we have extensive experience fitting dentures for our patients who have lost many, most, or even all of their teeth. Our expertise ensures your dentures will fit great and give you a great-looking smile.
What are dentures?
Dentures aren’t a new concept. Humans have been trying to replace missing teeth since the 7th century BC. Surely the most famous denture wearer was George Washington, whose dentures were not wood, as folklore has it, but were made with ivory from hippos and elephants, gold rivets, spiral springs, and real human teeth.
A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissues.
While dentures can seem “old school” when compared to dental implants, at Gonzalez Dental Care we love the way dentures enable our patients to regain their smile again.
A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissues.
While dentures can seem “old school” when compared to dental implants, at Gonzalez Dental Care we love the way dentures enable our patients to regain their smile again.
Are there different types of dentures?
Dentures are divided into two types: full or partial. Partial dentures are often called bridges. The question of whether you need full or partial dentures depends on your situation. In patients who’ve lost most of their teeth due to gum disease and other issues, it’s likely any remaining teeth will need to be extracted. After these extractions, the gums are allowed to fully heal before the denture process begins. Full dentures are held in place through two forces — suction created by the gums and pressure from the tongue and cheeks.
If possible, partial dentures are always the preferable solution. If the patient has some remaining teeth that are healthy enough to be saved, they provide great natural anchors for partial dentures to replace the missing teeth. Partial dentures can either be fixed or removable. A fixed partial denture is anchored to crowns placed on the remaining healthy teeth. A removable partial denture is connected to metal framework on the healthy teeth that holds the denture, but also allows it to be removed.
If possible, partial dentures are always the preferable solution. If the patient has some remaining teeth that are healthy enough to be saved, they provide great natural anchors for partial dentures to replace the missing teeth. Partial dentures can either be fixed or removable. A fixed partial denture is anchored to crowns placed on the remaining healthy teeth. A removable partial denture is connected to metal framework on the healthy teeth that holds the denture, but also allows it to be removed.
Would dentures be right for me?
Want a scary statistic? One quarter of all Americans over 65 have lost all of their natural teeth. About 90 percent of those people have dentures. You don’t want to be in that remaining 10 percent, as there are many benefits to getting fitted for modern dentures.
Dentures can help to:
- Improve the ability to chew and bite properly.
- Improve the patient’s self-confidence and self-image
- Allow the patient to again eat healthy foods such as nuts and fruit
- Improve the wearer’s facial structure.
- Improve the patient’s diction.
- Keep the patient’s other teeth in place (partial dentures).
What is the process of getting fit for dentures?
The entire process of getting dentures, particularly full dentures, usually takes from two to three months. This involves many fittings at our offices in on Pines Boulevard. In many cases, the first step in the denture process is to remove badly decayed teeth. So that you’re able to chew while your gums heal, we make an immediate denture.
After your gums have healed, this is the process we follow:
After your gums have healed, this is the process we follow:
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Your jaws are measured for the relationship between the upper and lower jaw and the space between. A series of impressions are taken
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From those impressions we make what you could think of as “demo dentures” out of wax or plastic. These are made in the exact shape and position of your conventional dentures, but are used to check color, shape, thickness, fit, and function.
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Once Dr. Gonzalez or Dr. Colon and you agree that you like the fit and structure, final impressions are made for your final denture. These are sent to the dental lab for fabrication.
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When the dentures are finished, we test them for fit and make further adjustments. From there, we will probably make a few more minute adjustments as you get used to wearing your new dentures.
Is it painful to get and wear dentures?
New dentures will involve some pain and discomfort for at least a few days to a couple of weeks. This is because your gums are adjusting to the dentures. If you had teeth extracted, there will be additional pain and some swelling in the extraction sites. This is one reason dentures need to be removed at night — to allow your gum tissues to rest and recover after wearing dentures during the day. When dentures are new, the gums have more adjustment. This period can take up to a few weeks. However, thanks to the precision denture fitting expertise of Dr. Gonzalez and Dr. Colon, your gums should rapidly adjust, and your dentures will soon be very comfortable.
To relieve initial pain, you can apply topical gel or cream for oral pain relief; you can remove your dentures and rinse with salt water for 30 seconds; you can apply aloe vera gel to your dentures before placing them in your mouth once or twice daily; you can massage your gums to encourage blood flow; and you can take ibuprofen
To relieve initial pain, you can apply topical gel or cream for oral pain relief; you can remove your dentures and rinse with salt water for 30 seconds; you can apply aloe vera gel to your dentures before placing them in your mouth once or twice daily; you can massage your gums to encourage blood flow; and you can take ibuprofen
How long can I expect my dentures to last?
Complete dentures usually last from five to seven years. At some point, full dentures usually need to be relined, rebased, or remade. This is because your underlying gum tissues and jawbone change over time. Dr. Gonzalez will have the denture base refit, or a new base may be created using the existing false teeth.
The lifespan of partial dentures is highly variable depending on the location in the mouth and the care of the appliance.
The lifespan of partial dentures is highly variable depending on the location in the mouth and the care of the appliance.
Can I eat normally with dentures?
If you’ve been missing many or all of your teeth for some time, you’ll be thrilled with what you can eat again. With dentures, you can return to a normal diet, but it’s a good idea to avoid extremely sticky and hard foods. While a caramel apple at the Broward County Fair may sound delectable, it probably isn’t a great idea. With full dentures, it will take a little practice eating many foods, particularly if you’ve been missing your teeth for a while. In the beginning, you’ll need to eat soft foods cut into small pieces. Of course, these restrictions only apply to full dentures. There is little adjustment necessary for partial dentures.
If you would like to know more about any of our dental implant treatments, contact our Pembroke Pines office at (954) 432-4800. We’re happy to schedule a visit for you!
If you would like to know more about any of our dental implant treatments, contact our Pembroke Pines office at (954) 432-4800. We’re happy to schedule a visit for you!
