Dentures and Partials

Click here to help this girl keep her smile

Dr. Steven R. Pohlhaus

[ Home ] [ Laser Dentistry ] [ TMJ Disorders ] [ Bruxism(Teeth Grinding) ] [ Mouth Ulcers, Cold Sores, etc ] [ Oral Cancer Info ] [ Medical / Dental Correlations ] [ Dental Prevention ] [ Gingivitis ] [ Periodontal Disease ] [ Halitosis (Bad Breath) ] [ Esthetic Dentistry ] [ One Hour Whitening ] [ Bleaching, Bonding & Veneers ] [ Sensitive Teeth ] [ Toothache ] [ Root Canals ] [ Crowns ] [ Bridges ] [ Implants ] [ Dentures and Partials ] [ New Patient Info ] [ Directions to Office ] [ Dr. Pohlhaus' Resume' ] [ Dominican Dental Project ] Pain Relief Info

Complete Dentures

Complete dentures are used to replace teeth when there are no teeth remaining. The teeth are prefabricated acrylic which come in many sizes, shapes, and shades. They are processed into a custom made acrylic base which is made to intimately and comfortably fit the gum tissue in your mouth.

Making the Denture

Making a quality complete set of dentures usually takes five appointments. Every patient presents with a unique shape of their oral tissue and relationship of their upper and lower jaws. Each patient also has unique esthetic requirements depending on the size, shape, and tone of their face and jaws. Each of these five appointments is crucial for a final denture which looks, fits, and works well.

	Appointment 1- Complete exam of jaws, soft tissues inside and outside the mouth. Oral cancer screening. Initial impression made.
	Appointment 2- Highly accurate impression taken using custom made impression tray.
	Appointment 3- Wax rims on plastic bases used. Wax is altered to establish proper bite and orientation of the denture teeth for the lab. Shape, size, and shade of teeth selected.
	Appointment 4- Try in step. At this point the lab has set the premade plastic teeth into the wax rim according to our directions.

Bite and orientation is checked. Esthetics evaluated by doctor and patient.

Appointment 5- Final denture. The lab has now processed the premade teeth onto a hard, tissue colored acrylic base. Adjustments are made to the fit and bite. A 24 - 48 hour follow up is needed to check and adjust any sore spots. A seven day follow up may be needed as well.

Getting Use to Your Denture

It will take a bit of time to get use to your new denture, particularly if it is your first. Unfortunately, a complete denture will not feel like your teeth did when you had them. They should, however, become comfortable and functional with time.

Speaking- At first you will have some difficulty with speaking and this is to be expected. Some people describe this as trying to talk with a "mouth full of marbles". Be patient; you will quickly adapt with practice and soon you will find you can not speak properly without your denture. There is no way to predict how long this will take, each patient adapts at a different rate.

Eating- Eating takes practice as well. The important thing to remember is that you do not chew with your denture as you did when you had teeth. Natural teeth chew in an up and down motion. Denture teeth, on the other hand, use a side to side motion to mash down the food. Always cut your food into small pieces for more effective denture chewing. It is unpredictable how well you will adapt to eating. Some patients can chew just about anything whereas others find they are limited in how well they can chew. All patients, however do improve with practice, time, and a bit of patience.

Denture Fit- Your denture will "settle in" in a short time and should fit well. We will gladly adjust for any sore areas that develop. Upper dentures usually fit snugly and stay in with suction. The lower denture, however, does not develop this suction due to the different shape of the lower jaw. The lower tends to "float". You will learn with time how to help hold the lower stable by the way you use your mouth while eating, speaking, and resting. Once again, this takes time and it is not possible to predict how well each patient will adapt. Denture adhesives can help but we recommend you not use them during the first few weeks of wearing your new denture.

Care of Your Denture

	Keep your denture clean by brushing it with denture toothpaste at least once a day. Do this over a sink filled with water to prevent breakage in case you drop the denture.
	Take your denture out every night when you go to sleep. Place it in some water in the denture cup we provide. Letting your denture dry out will slightly change it's shape enough to adversely effect the fit.
	Occasionally soak your denture in a commercial product such as Efferdent to help disinfect it. Dilute bleach every month or so will help reduce fungal growth.
	Rinse your mouth with mouthwash (without the denture) at least once a day to keep your mouth clean. This helps cut down on the amount of bacteria and fungus in the mouth which can lead to bad breath, denture sores, and infections.
	Make an appointment as soon as you develop any sores, change in fit, or any other problem you would like us to address.

Follow Up Care

Six Month Appointment- Update medical history - Evaluate denture fit, bite, esthetics

- Examine soft tissues for denture irritation

- Oral cancer screening

- Ultrasonic clean and disinfect denture

Yearly Follow Up- Same as Six Month Appointment. We may decide to see you more often depending on your case. Many patients like to come in more than once a year for peace of mind and a nice clean denture

Partial Dentures

A partial denture is a removable appliance that replaces missing teeth. It is held in place by your existing teeth. It is important that these teeth be healthy in order to support your partial; often they may need treatment prior to making the partial.

Why Have A Partial Made

A partial can restore esthetics and function to your mouth. Since you lost some teeth you may find it more difficult to chew as well as you used to. The partial can give you back much of this function, though not as much as natural teeth. A partial can also help stabilize your remaining teeth. This stabilization can minimize tooth drift, bite changes, and periodontal problems.

Making The Partial

Each partial is custom made to fit your mouth. Each of the following steps is needed to assure proper fit, function, and esthetics of your denture.

	Appointment 1- Full exam of mouth done including teeth, gums, jaws, soft tissues, bite, etc.. Impressions are made of your teeth for study models. These are used to custom design your partial. If any teeth are found to have decay or periodontal needs these problems are addressed at this appointment as well. It is important to address the foundation teeth prior to making the denture, just as you would want a strong foundation for your house.
	Appointment 2- The teeth may be slightly altered in shape in order to ideally fit the design we have made for you. This reshaping involves very minor changes to the enamel which does not even need anesthesia it is so slight. An accurate impression is made of the teeth and supporting gum tissues.
	Appointment 3- Your partial is made of metal structure with acrylic teeth and gums to look natural. At this appointment we try in the metal portion and adjust as necessary. Bite records are taken. Sometimes we will have the teeth set in wax at this point to make sure the bite and esthetics are good.
	Appointment 4- Partial is tried in and adjusted to fit. Usually you will return in 24 - 48 hours to adjust any sore areas that develop. We may appoint more follow up appointments as needed until the partial is comfortable.

The above appointments may be combined or extended, so each case may take less or more time depending upon the individual. In addition some patients opt for newer metal free partials, such as Valplast, which usually take less appointments. We want to be sure you will have a denture that looks good and fits well.

It will take you some time to get used to your new partial. Eating and speaking will seem awkward at first but with time you will learn how to use your partial. Each person is different in how fast they adapt, but eventually adaptation will occur.

Caring For Your Partial

You must take good care of your partial for it to last. You also must take care of the teeth remaining so the partial can maintain it's support. The following steps will help you keep your partial for a long time.

	Take your partial out when you sleep and place it in water. This lets your gums and teeth rest from the pressure of the partial. Placing it in water keeps it from drying out and changing shape.
	Remove your partial to clean it using a denture brush and toothpaste. Also brush and floss your teeth with the partial out of your mouth.
	Occasionally soak your partial in a commercial brand soak designed specifically for partials to help disinfect them.
	Maintain your recall visits so we can check your partial and supporting teeth for any problems. Also call us for an appointment as soon as you develop any problem with your denture; soreness, looseness, etc.

Hit Counter

704 D Nursery Road

Linthicum, Maryland 21090

410-789-4999

Last modified: July 31, 2007