March 12, 2013
Tags: dentist, london dentist, nhs, whitening, inman aligner, cosmetic dentist, checkup, dental, anish, anish dentist, london hygienist, dental hygiene, root canal., crown, cap, onlay, veneer, wisdom tooth, extraction.
A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and the surrounding tissues. Two types of dentures are available - complete and partial dentures. Complete dentures are used when all the teeth are missing, while partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain.
Complete dentures are mostly made from acrylic, while partial dentures can be acrylic or colbalt chromium. The later being stronger and actively engages the remaining teeth for a firmer more secure fit.
Complete dentures
1. We start by taking an impression with alginate with standard trays. This is mostly done with a material called alginate. This is sent to lab where more special trays to fit your mouth are made.
2. SThe special trays are used to get a better impression of the soft tissues. This again is done in alginate. The better the impression, the better fitting the final denture will be.The laboratory will send back wax rims.
3. Registration. The wax rim blocks are carved and used to work out how the denture will bite down together, aswell how much lip and cheek support the denture will give. The blocks will also record your smile- amount of tooth on show and which teeth. The colour and shape will also be decided at this stage.
4. Try-in.The lab then will send a mock-up of the denture in wax to try. We will assess the colour, shape, and how the teeth fit together. We will make any minor adjustments here, before we send off the denture to be made in acrylic. Note- At this stage the denture may a little loose as they are in wax.
5. Fit of denture. We will give you your final denture at this stage. We will assess the denture again for fit and aesthetics. We will often make small adjustments to the denture to prevent rubbing of the gums and un-even bite.
Partial cobalt chromium dentures
1. We start by taking an impression with alginate with standard trays. This is mostly done with a material called alginate. This is sent to lab where wax rim blocks are made and custom impression trays.
2. The wax rims blocks are used to record your bite, and allow the lab to mimic how your jaw moves. This way they will be able to design a metal denture bespoke to you.
3. We will make some minor adjustments to the teeth where the denture will rest on with the dental drill. This does not require anaesthetic as it is very minimal.
The special trays are then used, they get a better impression of the soft tissues. This again is done in alginate or silicon (more accurate). The better the impression, the better fitting the final denture will be.The laboratory will send back a metal frame work to try in.
4. We will try in the metal frame with no teeth. This is to check we have a tight fit, and that you are biting down correctly. At this stage we will select the colour and shape of the teeth.
5. Try-in of waxed denture.The lab then will send a mock-up of the denture in wax to try. We will assess the colour, shape, and how the teeth fit together. We will make any minor adjustments here, before we send off the denture to be made in metal and plastic.
6. Fit of denture. We will check the denture for the look, and comfort at this stage, followed by home-care instructions.
The major risk is of not replacing lost teeth is the over-growing of un-opposed teeth, leading to problems chewing. This is followed shortly by excessive wear on front teeth, if back teeth are not replaced.
If you have always had loose full dentures (due to bone loss), you can have implant retained dentures. This involves having a few implants placed in the jaw, follwed by a special denture that clips actively in place with them. It does not rely on the the amount of "suction" your gums have.
Dentures are not for everyone. They take a determined pateints who will persevere with them and want them to work, becasue in the first few weeks they will need adjusting as the bed in. They are also not the best replacement foe people with a strong gag reflex.
