Dentures Give You Back Your Smile
- Posted on: Jun 30 2018
It may surprise you, but according to the American Dental Association one quarter of all Americans over age 65 have lost all of their teeth. Millions more are missing many teeth.
While there is cost in replacing these missing teeth, what’s the cost of not doing it? A person may avoid smiling in public situations. Even regular conversation can be avoided because of whistling or difficulty pronouncing certain phrases. Those are cosmetic issues, but nutritional deficiencies can accompany tooth loss, along with jawbone deterioration.
At Cosmetic Dentistry Center, we offer dentures to replace missing teeth. They give our patients back their smile and their confidence.
What are dentures?
Maybe the most famous dentures are George Washington’s famous false chompers (they weren’t wood, by the way!), but throughout history man has tried to replace missing teeth. Archeological digs from as far back as the 7th century BC have found partial dentures made with human and animal teeth.
A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissues. They can be full (replacing all the teeth on either the upper or lower jaw) or partial. Partial dentures are sometimes called bridges. Complete dentures are called conventional, which actually could be called “permanent,†and are placed from two to three months after tooth extraction. Another term you may have heard is “immediate dentures,†but those are simply temporary dentures that are used while your gums heal and your conventional dentures are being fabricated.
How are dentures made?
The entire process of getting dentures, particularly full dentures, usually takes from two to three months. This involves many fittings. 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 Dr. Walk and Dr. Bamel follow:
- Your jaws are measured for the relationship between the upper and lower jaw and the space between. A series of impressions are taken.
- 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.
- Once you like the fit and structure, final impressions are made for your final denture. These are sent to the dental lab for fabrication.
- 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.
Today’s dentures fit much more snugly than those of the past. You can be confident in using them when talking, smiling, and eating. And, you’ll once again be able to enjoy a full diet.
If you’re missing all or many of your teeth, or if you have serious decay throughout and may need numerous extractions, dentures from the team at Cosmetic Dentistry Center can give you your smile back. Call us at (617) 965-7673 to set up a consultation.
Posted in: Dentures