Whether you need full or partial dentures, this kind of dental prosthetic can resolve a number of oral issues. Along with the apparent benefit of replacing teeth and improving smiles, dentures can also help you process foods and speak more comfortably. If you need a new pair of dentures, or need your existing set repaired, contact us today for the best denture and repair services in Phoenix and Glendale.
Dentures are custom-made prosthetic devices used to replace missing teeth. Along with the obvious benefit of replacing teeth, dentures have the added benefits of improving smiles, ensuring facial muscles are supported, helping process foods that require chewing, and can even help you speak more comfortably. Whether you still have some teeth remaining, need decayed teeth pulled first, or need a brand new pair of dentures, we offer multiple denture and repair services at Friends and Family Dental.
Types of Dentures
There are a couple of denture options to choose from depending on the extent of teeth missing, your budget, and what Dr. Lee recommends as the best option. Regardless of what kind of dentures you’ll need, they’ll be custom made to fit your mouth and shaped to match your existing teeth.
Conventional Full Dentures
Conventional full dentures are made once all the teeth have been removed and the gums have had a chance to start healing. The healing process can take several weeks, during which you’d be without teeth. Sometimes a temporary immediate full denture is created for this period of time. This kind of denture requires less realignments and adjustments than an immediate full denture since the bones and tissues have a chance to heal before the denture is created.
Immediate Full Dentures
In contrast to the conventional full denture, immediate full dentures are created before the teeth are removed, allowing you to immediately insert them and have dentures during the healing process. While having dentures right away is helpful, they require more realignments and adjustments to fit properly since the bones and gums will shrink during the healing process. This kind of denture is usually used as a temporary fix until the conventional full denture can be made.
Partial Dentures
If you still have strong, healthy teeth that don’t need to be removed, a partial denture might be the best solution. This kind of denture is created on a metal framework that attaches to your natural teeth. Crowns might be placed on your natural teeth so the partial denture has a place it can anchor to. This is a common denture option since it keeps your healthy, natural teeth intact and offers a removable alternative to bridges.
How Long Do Dentures Last?
Even with the best care, dentures will eventually have to be replaced, and are recommended to be replaced every 5-8 years, sometimes with repairs happening in between sets. Below are a few tips to help your dentures last as long as possible.
Don’t let them dry out
If your dentures are left out for an extended period of time, they can dry out and result in a brittle, prone-to-breakage denture. They should be soaked in a denture soaking solution or in water when they’re not being used. Be sure to use cold to lukewarm water – warm to hot water can cause them to warp and not fit properly.
Practice good oral hygiene
Ensuring your mouth is clean and healthy will go a long way in helping your dentures last as long as possible. By brushing your gums, tongue, and roof of your mouth every morning before you insert your dentures, you’re getting rid of bacteria that could transfer to your dentures. The brushing also helps stimulate blood flow in the gum tissue, helping maintain a strong and healthy base for the dentures to rest on.
Clean your dentures
Along with practicing good oral hygiene, extending this habit to cleaning your dentures regularly will pay off exponentially. Brushing your dentures daily will remove plaque, food, and help prevent stains.
Handle with care
Although dentures receive a fair amount of pressure from their day-to-day use, they’re still pretty fragile. Accidentally dropping them could result in breaks that are too extensive to repair. We recommend cleaning them over a tub of water or a towel so they won’t hit the hard ground if dropped.
Annual trips to Friends and Family Dental
Visiting us at Friends and Family Dental will also help your dentures last. We can detect early signs of issues and stop them before they develop into an irreparable problem. If you notice any chips, fractures, or if your dentures become lose, plan to visit us as soon as possible so we can remedy the issue and get them working properly.
Common Denture Repairs
Even with practicing the best care for your dentures, they can still develop issues from the daily wear and tear they receive. If you think your dentures need a repair, don’t try to fix them yourself. While you can find denture repair kits, these do more harm than good and can end up damaging your dentures further by not fully addressing the underlying issue. Whatever repair you might need, visit us at Friends and Family Dental to ensure your dentures are fixed to be as close to their original condition.
Whatever issue you’re experiencing with your dentures, we have a variety of methods to fix it. Your dentures should be comfortable to wear and give you confidence in your smile!
Adjustments
Once you’ve gotten your new pair of dentures, it’s normal for them to feel a little uncomfortable at first. This should correct itself as your mouth gets used to them, but if it doesn’t get better, an adjustment may be needed. A simple adjustment can dramatically increase the comfort of your dentures and help prevent cracks from not fitting properly.
Denture reline
If you’ve been wearing your dentures for a while and notice them starting to not fit as comfortably, you might want to consider a reline. With this simple and quick denture repair, the underside of the denture is reshaped to make it more comfortable when it rests against your gums.
Denture rebase
A denture rebase is recommended when the teeth are still in good shape, but the base material of the denture is not. This process replaces all of the acrylic base without replacing any of the denture teeth. A rebase is similar to a reline, but it replaces all of the pink acrylic material instead of just the lining.
Cracked denture repair
The most common reason dentures crack overtime is due to poor fit. If you pay attention to how your dentures are fitting and get them repaired when something first arises, you hopefully won’t end up with a cracked denture. Depending on the extent that they’ve been cracked, Dr. Lee will either fix them himself, send them to a lab to be fixed, or suggest ordering a new pair if they’re beyond repair.
Professional Dentures and Repair Services in Phoenix
With nearly three decades of experience in dentistry, Friends and Family Dental is a choice you can feel confident about. Whether you simply need a routine cleaning, or something more intensive like periodontal therapy, we have the skills and confidence to ensure your smile is in good hands. If you need any dentures or repair services, contact us today.