Dentures for a New Smile

Although dental awareness and hygiene has improved dramatically over the last few decades, we are saving more teeth than ever before however, but loss of teeth is still a problem for small proportion of the population.

It is estimated that almost 26% of adults in the US between the ages of 65 and 75 don’t have any teeth.

Fortunately, there are many great options to replace all your teeth.

In addition to dental implants Melbourne, a versatile and affordable option is a set of removable dentures.

Reasons for dentures

• Complete Denture – Loss of all teeth in an arch
• Partial Denture – Loss of several teeth in an arch
• Enhancing smile and facial contours
• Improving chewing, speech, and digestion

Dentures & Partial Dentures

A denture is a removable dental treatment option for replacing missing teeth.

They are made to closely resemble your natural teeth shape, shade and size to help enhance your smile and bite.

There are three types of dentures – complete, partial dentures and more recently a new category called cosmetic dentures.

Complete dentures are used when all of the teeth are missing, while partial dentures are used when natural teeth remain but some teeth have been extracted.

Cosmetic dentures have improved aesthetics and function with the use of more life like materials and are in conjunction with dental implants.

A complete denture can be either “conventional” or “immediate.”

This type of denture uses suction to stay in place. They are made of a pliable acrylic material which adapts to your jaw and gums to enable adequate suction.

A conventional type is made after the teeth have been removed and the jaw and gums have completed healed.

Immediate dentures are made before teeth have been extracted and are placed into the mouth immediately after the teeth are extracted.

The benefit of this approach enables the patient to have teeth during the healing phase and confidence to smile.

This type of denture will have to be “relined” several times over the next 18 months to ensure a more accurate fit as the jaw and gums heals over time.

Partial Dentures

A partial denture not only replaces missing teeth, it prevents other teeth from moving out of place and potentially altering your bite and function.

They are much more secure than standard full dentures and are more comfortable.

Like full dentures, partial dentures can be removed but are held in place with attachments to the remaining healthy teeth, usually with metal clasps.

If your remaining teeth are healthy, this is your best option as the denture can be stabilised by these teeth.

This increases comfort when chewing and talking without the denture shifting and moving.

Cosmetic Dentures

Cosmetic dentures, as you can imagine, are made to look as natural as possible.

Unlike standard dentures, cosmetic dentures are made from a special acrylic base or titanium framework that increases the stability and bite function of the denture.

In addition, the teeth can be made of aesthetic acrylic or porcelain to look more like natural and life like.

Cosmetic dentures achieve a natural appearance through the use of implants, similar to Veneers Melbourne.

Implants are strategically placed in the mouth to created special retention points for the dentures to hold onto. The cosmetic denture will either rest on or snap onto the implants.

What this does is allow the denture to stay in place without the chance of it moving around, which makes the denture more functional and comfortable.

Dentures are very durable and will last many years but may have to be remade, repaired, or readjusted due to normal wear.

Losing teeth can lead to expensive treatment options but is does not have to prevent you from having teeth or a smile.

Removable dentures are a great treatment option for many people.

If you are thinking about having or replacing your dentures, schedule a consultation with one of the most sought after cosmetic dentists in Melbourne using our online form and Dr Kasen will be happy to discuss your options.