A denture is a removable dental appliance used for replacement for missing teeth and surrounding gum tissue.  Dentures are made to closely resemble your natural teeth and restore and enhance your smile.

There are two types of dentures - complete and partial dentures.  Complete dentures are used when all of the teeth are missing, while partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain that are strong enough to support the denture.  A partial denture not only fills in the spaces created by missing teeth, it prevents other teeth from shifting.

A denture may be either “conventional” or “immediate.”  A conventional type is made after the teeth have been removed and the gum tissue has healed, usually taking several weeks.  During this time the patient is without teeth.  Immediate dentures are made in advance and placed immediately after the teeth are removed, thus preventing the patient from having to be without teeth during the healing process.  An immediate denture usually requires frequent adjustment for the first few days. Once the tissues shrink and heal, the denture is relined to fit the healed tissue surface.

Dentures are very durable appliances and will last many years, but eventually have to be remade, repaired, or readjusted due to normal wear.

Reasons for dentures:

• Complete Denture - Loss of all teeth in an arch.
• Partial Denture - Loss of several teeth in an arch.
• Enhancing smile and facial tissues.
• Improving chewing, speech, and digestion.

What does getting dentures involve?

The process of getting dentures requires several appointments, usually over several weeks.  Highly accurate impressions (molds) and measurements are taken and used to create your custom denture.  “Try-in” appointments are done to ensure proper shape, color, and fit.  At the final appointment, the dentures are  placed and adjusted to ensure a comfortable fit.

All new dentures require a "period of adjustment" while the body adapts to what is, essentially, a foreign object in the mouth. It is normal to experience increased saliva flow, some soreness, and possible speech and chewing difficulty, however this will subside as your muscles and tissues get used to the new dentures.