Dentures can be the most affordable treatment for replacing missing or severely damaged teeth and surrounding tissues. Dentures can be made from a range of quality materials, and may be fixed or removable depending on your preferences and your price range.
Modern dentures have improved a long way from the false teeth of the past and are chosen by people of all ages who want to replace their teeth and restore their smiles.
If you want to replace a single missing tooth, several teeth or a whole arch, your dentist can explain the pros and cons of dentures and the different options available so you can decide what’s best for you.
Why choose dentures?
Missing teeth can affect your appearance, your oral health, your general health and even your ability to speak clearly.
- Teeth rely on each other for support and when individual teeth are missing, the surrounding teeth may lean into the gap and go crooked, which can make them harder to clean and change the shape of your face.
- Having several missing teeth may affect your ability to eat certain foods, which can have effects on nutrition and digestion.
- Missing teeth may effect your ability to speak clearly.
- Your teeth also support your jaw and facial muscles, so losing teeth can lead to bone loss and a sunken or prematurely aged appearance.
Dentures can replace missing teeth to restore their function and appearance. Dentures may also be recommended to replace teeth that have been too badly damaged by trauma, disease or infection to repair. These teeth will need to be extracted before dentures can be used.
Are dentures comfortable?
It may take a few weeks to get used to eating and speaking with dentures, but after this adjustment period, you should barely notice you’re wearing them. When your dentures are designed by an experienced prosthetist, they should look and feel just like natural teeth.
All our dentures are custom made in the Word of Mouth surgery so a comfortable fit is guaranteed as adjustments can be made on-site.
What are my denture options?
Your dentist at Word of Mouth Dentures will make sure you know all your options for teeth replacement. We will recommend the best type of dentures for your needs. This will depend on how many teeth you want to replace and other considerations including cost.
These options may include:
- Full dentures
- Partial dentures
Full dentures
Full dentures replace a full arch of teeth. This may be the best option if:
- all of the teeth in your upper and/or lower jaw are missing
- your remaining teeth are too damaged or unhealthy to save and need to be extracted
- you are replacing existing dentures
Full dentures can give you a functioning set of teeth that also supports your face. Full dentures consist of false teeth and gums attached to a base that attaches to the roof of the mouth (upper dentures) or rests on the gum (lower dentures).
Creating your custom dentures involves several appointments, as your prosthetist needs to take impressions of your mouth to make sure the dentures are a perfect fit. Final adjustments will be made to ensure your dentures fit comfortably and won’t come loose.
Partial dentures
Partial dentures or a denture bridge can replace individual teeth or several adjacent teeth. They are designed to fit seamlessly between your remaining teeth and may be attached to these teeth using metal wings or clasps.
Replacing missing or damaged teeth with partial dentures can prevent problems such as teeth shifting into the gap, an imbalanced bite and eating or speech difficulties, as well as restoring the appearance of your smile.
A partial denture consists of one or more teeth on an artificial gum base that covers the natural gum. These dentures are normally removable, or they may be supported by one or more dental implants in the jaw.