If you want to improve your smile’s appearance or restore your mouth’s structure, Comprehensive DMD’s custom-made dentures may be your answer. At Comprehensive Dental Care, Dr. Martin and our team of comprehensive dentistry professionals ensure your dentures provide the most comfortable fit and natural appearance possible. Our Gainesville dentist works with you to find the best option for your needs, ensure your denture is made to your complete satisfaction and meet our high standards for exceptional dental care. For more information about dentures or to schedule a dentures appointment with our dentist in Gainesville, FL, contact Comprehensive Dental Care.

Common Types Of Dentures

There are several dentures types to pick from when choosing the best type of dentures for your dental needs and lifestyle preferences. Comprehensive Dental Care offers complete dentures, partial dentures, same-day dentures, and overdentures. The specific type of dentures you receive will depend on several factors, including your oral health needs, the number of teeth removed or requiring removal, and your preferences. Contact our Gainesville dental clinic for more information and to schedule an appointment.

Full Dentures

Full dentures, or conventional dentures, consist of a full set of custom-crafted teeth that replaces all-natural teeth in the mouth. Full dentures are removable and are typically created for patients who have had their natural teeth removed, following the full healing cycle of the gums. Once placed, full dentures are adjusted as the oral tissues and jaw bone heal and accommodate the new appliance. As soon as the gum tissues are healed, the dentures will be realigned to provide the patient with a perfect fit.

Partial Dentures

Partial dentures, or half dentures, are the ideal choice for individuals who only lack sections of natural teeth within the mouth’s top and/or bottom. Similar to dental bridges, partial dentures fill large gaps created by several missing teeth. Similar to full dentures, partial dentures are removable and are commonly referred to as removable partial dentures. These appliances can be made from a metal framework or another material.

Immediate Dentures

Immediate dentures, also called same-day dentures, are placed immediately following the teeth removal procedure. This allows patients to leave the office with a set of teeth and avoid waiting until their gum tissues heal following teeth removal to receive replacement teeth. However, patients with immediate dentures must be adjusted several times in the first few months of use because they are placed immediately following teeth removal.

Overdentures

Overdentures are replacement teeth retained by dental implants, promote better digestion; reduce the occurrence of bone loss due to jaw bone stimulation; and provide adequate structure to the face. They are commonly referred to as implant-supported dentures or permanent dentures.

What Are Dentures?

A denture is a removable fixture that replacecs teeth lost due to gum disease, tooth decay, or injury, among other causes. They can be crafted to fit the entire mouth — full dentures — or certain sections of the mouth — partial dentures. In addition to replacing natural teeth, a denture provides structural support to the cheeks and lips. When face structure decreases, facial muscles begin to sag. This restorative dentistry can help rejuvenate your facial appearance and profile and renew your self-confidence. After receiving dentures, our patients report improved life quality and increased ease when eating and speaking. Contact us today to learn more about the comprehensive dental services we offer.

Who Needs Dentures?

There are many reasons a patient might need dentures, whether full dentures, partial dentures, or overdentures. Patients with gaps between their teeth, swollen gums, unstable or missing teeth, persistent toothaches, severe tooth decay, eating or speaking difficulties, oral trauma, gum disease, dental emergencies, and other oral conditions may benefit from receiving dentures.

Dentures from Comprehensive Dental Care can provide the following benefits.

  • Allows you to eat and chew food properly
  • Improves your ability to speak clearly
  • Provides your facial muscles with support
  • Gives a natural appearance to your teeth
  • Prevents surrounding teeth from shifting

How Long Does It Take To Get Dentures?

The duration of your procedure will depend on the type of dentures you will receive, whether your remaining teeth require removal and if your gums must heal before receiving your dentures. Partial dentures can be made from the same flesh-colored plastic material or a metal framework that supports your replacement teeth. These are held with special clasps and rests carefully fitted to lock into place using the remaining natural teeth.

For full dentures, the remaining teeth must be removed, and the gums then fully healed over. Then, it can take 2–3 months to craft the dentures. After tooth removal, and once the gums have healed (if necessary), impressions of your gums will be taken. These impressions are sent to a dental laboratory, where a model will be made. The process of fine-tuning and adjusting the fit of your dentures will feel more natural after each stage of preparation, and the results will be well worth the wait.

How Are Dentures Made?

The design and fabrication of your denture prosthesis may take multiple weeks and several appointments with our Gainesville dentists. First, your dentist first must determine the most appropriate type of denture appliance for your needs. Then, they will make a series of impressions of your jaw and measure the space between your upper and lower jaws. They may also create wax forms, plastic modules, and other models in the exact shape and position of the denture.

You will try on the model numerous times, during which the denture will be inspected for how well the color matches your natural gums, the shape of the denture, and how the denture fits in your mouth. Once all adjustments are made to the model, the final denture appliance is cast and provided to you. Any adjustments to your final denture will be made as necessary. Contact Comprehensive Dental Care for more information about the denture-making process.

Adjusting To Life With Dentures

Once you receive new dentures, adjusting to them in your daily life can be a process. You may feel odd, and your new dentures may feel loose for multiple weeks after they are placed. After a few weeks, your tongue and cheek muscles gradually adapt to keeping the dentures in place for a superior fit. You will also become used to inserting and removing your dentures during this time. You may experience a small degree of irritation and soreness in your mouth as your saliva production increases during the first days you wear your dentures. This will diminish once your mouth adjusts to the dentures. Dentures are custom-made by our lab to appear nearly indistinguishable from your natural teeth, so your appearance with dentures will appear similar to your smile beforehand. For many of our patients with dentures, their dentures improve their overall appearance and smile as well as facial structure. In some cases, patients may have difficulty saying or pronouncing certain words.

We recommend practicing saying these words out loud. This will help you adjust to speaking properly with your dentures. Some patients may hear a clicking sound when they speak with dentures. If you experience this or any other issues while wearing your dentures, contact our dental office for assistance. In addition to adjusting to your dentures while speaking, you may also encounter difficulties while eating with dentures. Eating with dentures requires practice, which may cause discomfort for the initial few weeks. Start by eating soft-textured foods cut into small pieces. Chew slowly, using both sides of your mouth. Use caution with hard foods and foods with sharp edges, such as those with bones or shells, and avoid eating sticky foods.

Six Tips For Denture Care

Taking care of your dentures is an essential aspect of maintaining adequate oral health as well as the longevity of your dentures. Daily maintenance of the dentures is required to prevent bacteria growth as well as permanent staining. Because dentures are removable, caring for dentures can be easier than caring for natural teeth. Consider the following five tips to ensure adequate daily denture care.

  1. Brush the dentures daily with a soft-bristle toothbrush to prevent bacteria growth.
  2. Rinse the dentures following each meal to dislodge any food particles.
  3. Disinfect the dentures using a cleanser specifically made for dentures.
  4. Keep the dentures in a denture solution when not in use to avoid cracking.
  5. Clean your gums and tongue regularly.
  6. Schedule an appointment immediately should the dentures crack or break. Poorly fitting dentures can irritate the mouth and result in infection.

How To Preserve Your Dentures

An important aspect of having dentures is proper denture care and maintenance. When you receive your dentures, you will receive specific instructions on how to care for and preserve your dentures. Patients with dentures should always remove their dentures before they go to sleep. This helps prevent damage to dentures or dislodging of dentures, and it also helps ensure the gums have adequate time to heal and recover each night. Once you remove your dentures for the night, submerge them completely in warm water. This will help keep them moist and prevent them from drying out or becoming misshapen. If your dentures do not have any metal features, leave them only in special denture-soaking solution. For more information about how to adequately clean and preserve your dentures, call Comprehensive Dental Care.