If you’re missing some or all of your teeth, Valley Dental Care of Plainfield is here to help! With dentures, we can not only restore your smile, but also help to improve your speech, chewing mechanisms, and even your facial structure.
How to Improve Your Smile with Dentures
Whether you’ve lost your teeth due to gum disease, tooth decay, or injury, replacing them with dentures can boost your overall health—and your confidence! Dentures are removable appliances that match or even improve the look of your teeth. Complete dentures and partial dentures are available to you, depending on if you need a full set of teeth or only some of your teeth replaced.
Here’s what you can expect during the process of getting dentures:
- Preliminary Evaluation – Through a series of X-rays of your gums and jawbone, your dentist will look closely to ensure that your tissues are fit to hold your new dentures. Should you have any excess tissue or need teeth removed, your dentist may need to schedule a separate minor oral surgery. Once your mouth is ready for dentures, your dentist will take an impression of your mouth and gums. This process usually takes about four or five appointments.
- Creating your Dentures: Using the mold that has been taken of your mouth, your dentures will be created to suit your needs. There are two types of dentures that you may get, depending on your needs:
- Complete Dentures – These are created if you need a full set of teeth replaced. The base is made of flesh-colored acrylic that fits directly over your gums so they can sit firmly in your mouth. The lower denture is shaped like a horseshoe to make room for the tongue, while the upper denture crosses the roof of your mouth. Custom-made dentures are typically ready for wear about 3-6 months after teeth have been removed. However, temporary, immediate dentures are created so they can be in place throughout this healing period.
- Partial Dentures (or Bridges) – In this case, when only a few teeth need to be replaced, a removable denture or bridge will attach to surrounding teeth and/or gums. Partial dentures still have an acrylic base to attach to the gums, and use metal framework to attach to the natural teeth surrounding it. Bridges, on the other hand, replace one or more teeth by placing crowns over the healthy adjacent teeth and attaching prosthetics to them.
- Acclimating to Dentures – After receiving your dentures, your dentist may make a few minor tweaks to improve the fit and comfort of your new device. Dentures can feel a bit uncomfortable for a few weeks as you grow used to them. They can feel loose as your cheeks and tongue adjust to them, and minor irritation, soreness, and increased saliva production are typical. These symptoms are often temporary and should go away over time. If these issues persist, however, be sure to call our Plainfield office for a consultation.
Taking Care of Your Dentures
It is important to practice good oral hygiene even if you wear full dentures. This will help to keep your gums, tongue, and mouth in good health. Here are a few simple steps you can take to care for your oral health and your dentures:
- Brush daily. You should brush your gums, tongue, cheeks, and roof of your mouth every day with a soft-bristled brush before inserting your dentures. This will improve circulation in your tissues and remove bacteria and plaque. You should also brush your dentures daily to remove food debris and plaque, which will help you to keep them from staining.
- Rinse. Rinse your dentures to remove debris from the dentures before brushing.
- Keep them in water. When your dentures are not in use, you should be certain to keep them in water in a safe place. This will prevent them from warping.
If you have any questions about your dentures, or want to learn more about the process of getting them, call Valley Dental Care of Plainfield today.