Dentures are removable appliances fabricated as replacements for missing teeth and surrounding tissue.
- Partial dentures are made when your mouth still has natural teeth, and the appliance uses these teeth for support and stability.
- Complete dentures are made when all the teeth in an arch are missing, and use the bony ridge and gingival tissue for retention and support. Their fabrication should be started 4-6 weeks after the teeth are extracted, to ensure proper healing has occurred.
- Immediate dentures are fabricated ahead of time, and inserted as soon as the teeth are extracted, so the tissue is allowed to heal under the denture. This minimizes post-operative bleeding and swelling at the same time providing instant function and aesthetics, but it also means immediate dentures will need to be relined or rebased about 6 months later to accommodate for the change in gingival tissue.
- Soft dentures are conventional dentures that have a coating of flexible resin added to their bases during the final stage of processing. The added resin cushions the impact between the denture and the tissue, but also makes adjustments, repairs, regular maintenance and overall strength more challenging.
At Oasis Dental, Dr. Linda Gherman can fabricate all these different types of dentures for her patients, with the attention to detail that will ensure your new dentures don’t appear artificial and are as best fitted as possible. She will take the time to discuss the pros and cons of each alternative, and help you make the best decision. Dentures normally take 2-4 visits to be fabricated, and for most types, you will be able to have a try-in appointment so you can see and change, if needed, the appearance of the teeth.