As the name suggests, full dentures are created where all of the upper or lower teeth are missing. Full dentures can either be “conventional” dentures or “immediate”, with the latter given immediately after teeth are extracted to help the gums to heal. Immediate dentures also provide the patient with an ‘immediate’ set of teeth so that you can leave the dental clinic with an interim set of teeth that provides some function and form. As your gums heal after extraction, they will change shape so your immediate denture won’t fit you forever. Ideally, a regular, conventional set of dentures will be made and fitted approximately 8 to 12 weeks after your teeth have been removed. We recommend you keep your immediate dentures as an emergency pair, in case anything should happen to your regular dentures.
Partial chrome dentures provide the best comfort, function and aesthetics. They have a thermoplastic clasp, which (visually) blends into the gum tissue creating a natural-looking smile, and a metal framework that provides maximum stability and strength to the partial. This combination of materials is the most desirable as it provides optimal strength while being gentle on the abutment teeth, making them comfortable to wear.
Partial acrylic dentures can be removed and inserted whenever you please. They clip onto the remaining teeth for retention (stability), making it possible to talk and bite into food. Acrylic dentures are not as high-quality as chrome dentures, though.
As time passes, our gums and jawbone change shape, particularly when there are no teeth left in the jawbone to provide ongoing stimulation, which keeps the bone strong. Because the bone starts to resorb or deteriorate through this lack of stimulation, your jawbone changes shape, and so a denture that fits you now may not fit you so well in a year. This is why we recommend you come in for a denture reline. A denture reline is the restoration of the fitting surface between your denture and gum. By remolding the denture, we can improve the fit, retention and comfort when wearing the denture, making it possible to keep the denture for longer.
Implant-supported dentures are similar to conventional dentures, except they are attached via an abutment to dental implants (which are placed and fused into the jawbone below the gum line). They are far more secure than removable conventional dentures, allowing for greater bite retention and function, making it easier for you to talk, smile and eat a wider variety of foods. Implant-supported dentures can be either partial or full and made for either the upper or lower jaw.
Good quality dentures are made of strong, reliable materials, but occasionally accidents happen, and dentures get broken, chipped or damaged. Commonly, this happens when a denture is dropped onto the hard bathroom floor tiles, or dropped into the sink. If this happens to you, bring your dentures in to us immediately; we’ll usually be able to fix them on the same day.
For more information on dentures, visit the Australian Dental Association. Alternatively, you can visit the ADPA here.
Marketplace Dental is registered with all health funds and is a preferred provider with nib, BUPA, HCF and Medibank Private.
We offer the full suite of general dental treatments, along with cosmetic dentistry, Invisalign, braces and sedation dentistry ‘happy gas’ – just in case you’re feeling even the tiniest bit anxious. Plus, we have an extra special focus on the kids, and we’re confident they’ll love coming to visit!
