Dentures
Dentures are full-mouth false teeth, which are needed when a patient is without teeth or is edentulous.
When someone has no teeth the appearance of the lips and jaw can slacken because they have no support. Dentures help give support to the jaw and lips for better appearance and give the edentulous patient better chewing (masticatory) abilities.
Dentists take fittings of your gumline and jaw in a series of appointments. Complete dentures are fitted to the mandibular (lower) arch and the maxillary (upper) arch. Dentures can be made of porcelain, or acrylic. For those on a lower budget, dentures made of resin are available, but resin dentures do not last as long and are more prone to discolouration.
The part of the denture that rests on top of your gums and the underlying bone is soft to ensure a comfortable fit. Eventually, it will wear away a little and the denture will not fit as well. Then your dentist can reline your dentures. This is a process of replacing the soft material for a better denture fit.
Dentures are removable and must be cleaned with a toothbrush or cleaning solution. If you are missing only a few teeth in a series, you can be fitted with a partial denture, also known as a bridge. If your missing teeth are not next to each other, then you are a candidate for dental implants.
