What Are Dentures?

Dentures are removable appliances that can replace missing teeth and help restore your smile. If you have lost all of your natural teeth, whether from gum disease, tooth decay, or injury, replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. This is because dentures make it easier to eat and speak better than you could without teeth—things that people often take for granted. Dental bridges, dental implants, and dentures are all designed to replace missing teeth in your oral cavity; the choice of which method to use depends on the size and location of the gaps left behind.

When you lose all of your teeth, facial muscles can sag, making you look older. Dentures can help fill out the appearance of your face and profile. They can be made to closely resemble your natural teeth so that your appearance does not change much. Dentures may even improve the look of your smile.

Types of dentures:

• Conventional. This removable denture is made and placed in your mouth after the remaining teeth are removed and tissues have healed, which may take several months.
• Immediate. This removable denture is inserted on the same day that your remaining teeth are removed. Your dentist will take measurements and make models of your jaw during a preliminary visit. You do not have to be without teeth during the healing period, but may need to have the denture realigned or remade after your jaw has healed to ensure a good fitting denture.
• Overdenture. Sometimes some of your teeth can be saved to preserve your jawbone and provide stability and support for the denture. An overdenture fits over a small number of remaining natural teeth after they have been prepared by Dr. Kruckman. Dental implants can serve the same function, too.

New dentures may feel awkward for a few weeks until you become accustomed to them. The dentures may feel loose while the muscles of your cheek and tongue learn to keep them in place. It is not unusual to experience minor irritation or soreness. You may find that saliva flow temporarily increases. As your mouth becomes accustomed to the dentures, these problems should go away. Follow-up appointments with your Waconia-, Carver-, and Victoria-area dentist are generally needed after a denture is inserted so the fit can be checked and adjusted. Contact us today to learn more!