Partial and complete dentures are used to replace few or several missing teeth. When many of your teeth are affected by advanced periodontal disease, decay or other problems, extracting them may be the only option. When diseased teeth are removed, infection is eliminated and the gums and supporting bone will be restored to a healthy state.

Partial Dentures

A removable partial denture is used when one or more teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw. This type of denture consists of replacement teeth, which are attached to a gum-colored plastic base that is connected by metal framework that holds the denture in place.  A partial denture maintains tooth alignment by preventing the remaining teeth from shifting.

Complete Dentures

Complete dentures are used to replace all of the teeth. These dentures are made in about 8 to 12 weeks after the teeth have been removed and the gums have begun to heal. Complete dentures are made of a plastic gum-colored base which supports a full set of artificial teeth made of porcelain or plastic. Complete dentures are held in place by forming a seal with the gums.

How Dentures are Made

The process of making dentures begins with your dentist taking impressions of your mouth. Your dentist will then send the impressions to an off-site dental lab that will use them to make precise models of your mouth. The lab will then build the dentures based on these models.

An immediate denture can be made so you have something to wear immediately after your teeth are removed. This type of denture is made before the teeth are extracted and is put into place the same day your teeth are removed. This type of denture does not fit the bone and gum tissue as well as a conventional denture so it needs to be adjusted during the healing stage.

Adjusting to Dentures

It can take some time to get used to wearing dentures, as there is an adjustment period wherein you will learn how to eat, speak and care for your new partials or complete dentures. When you first get your new dentures, they may feel large in your mouth and you may even experience a slight gag reaction. However, after several days, these feelings should subside as you slowly make the adjustment to wearing dentures.

To get used to eating with your new dentures, start with soft foods cut into small pieces. As you become more accustomed to your dentures, you can add other foods until you return to a normal diet.

You may find it challenging to pronounce some words correctly after getting new dentures. If so, practice saying those words out loud. With a bit of practice and some time, you will be able to speak clearly with your new dentures.

Caring for Your Dentures

You need to care for your complete or partial dentures as carefully as you would your own natural teeth. You should take your dentures out every night and soak them in a special denture cleanser soaking solution or water. In the morning, before putting your dentures in, gently brush all surfaces of the dentures with a soft-bristled toothbrush and rinse. It’s also important that your brush your gums, tongue and palate with a soft-bristled brush each morning before putting your dentures in.

Teeth that are badly stained, shaped or crooked may be improved by a veneer placed on the surface of the affected teeth.

Veneers are thin pieces of porcelain or plastic cemented over the front of your teeth to change their color or shape. Veneers are used on teeth with uneven surfaces or are chipped, discolored, oddly shaped, unevenly spaced or crooked. Little or no anesthesia is needed. Veneers have a longer life expectancy and color stability than bonding, and highly resist permanent staining from coffee, tea, or even cigarette smoking.

Veneers are usually made by a dental lab technician working from a model provided by Dr Villalobos. Veneers are usually irreversible because it`s necessary to remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth to accommodate the shell.

Porcelain veneers can mask undesirable defects, such as teeth stained by tetracycline, by an injury, or as a result of a root-canal procedure, and are ideal for masking discolored fillings in front teeth. Patients with gaps between their front teeth or teeth that are chipped or worn may consider porcelain veneers.

Typically, veneers entail at least three appointments: diagnosis and treatment planning, preparation, and bonding.

During the tooth preparation visit, the teeth are lightly buffed to allow for the small added thickness of the veneer. Usually, about a half a millimeter of the tooth is removed, which may require a local anesthetic. During the same visit, a mold is taken of the teeth, and sent to the laboratory for the fabrication of the veneers.

During the final “bonding” visit, the veneers are placed on the tooth surface with water or glycerin on the teeth to check their fit and get a sense of the shade or color. While the veneers are resting on your teeth, they can be adjusted with various shades of cement to match the color of your teeth. To apply the veneer, the tooth is cleansed with specific chemicals to achieve a bond. Once a special cement is sandwiched between the veneer and tooth, a visible light beam, or laser, causes a catalyst to be released, hardening the cement.

During a two-week period of adjustment that follows, you may notice the change of size and shape in your teeth. It is important to brush and floss daily. After one or two weeks, you`ll return for a follow-up appointment with your dentist. Porcelain veneers are reasonable facsimiles of natural teeth, not perfect replacements. It`s not uncommon to see slight variations in the color of porcelain veneers upon close inspection, as this occurs even in natural teeth.