Dentures

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Dentures are false teeth, mounted on removable plastic or metal plates. Full dentures are used when there are no teeth remaining on the upper or lower jaw, but partial dentures can be made to replace a lower number of teeth.

Why do I need Dentures?

Replacing missing teeth is very important, for clinical and cosmetic reasons. If teeth are missing, the remaining teeth can move out of position, resulting in a misaligned bite. This can cause discomfort, as well as increasing the risk of decay and gum disease if food gets trapped. Also, if teeth are not replaced, the patient's facial muscles may begin to sag, making the patient appear older. The patient's speech and ability to eat may also be impaired.

Alternatives to Dentures

There are alternatives to having dentures- if you are replacing one or two teeth, your dentist may suggest a bridge. A bridge is an artificial tooth which is fitted to the remaining teeth on either side of the gap. Bridges can only be used instead of a partial denture- it is not possible to replace a complete set of teeth using bridges.
Another option is dental implants- these are artificial teeth fitted by inserting a metal screw through the jaw bone, onto which a false tooth is attached. Implants can be used to replace one tooth, or a complete set. They offer a solution that avoids some of the difficulties patients can experience with dentures (see below), but they are not suitable for all patients and usually cost considerably more than dentures.

What is involved in fitting Dentures?

At a preliminary appointment, the dentist will take an impression of the patient's jaws. The acrylic material used to make dentures is then fitted to this impression, making artificial teeth which will fit the patient's mouth. It is possible for dentures to be fitted on the same day as the patient's teeth are removed, but only using "immediate" dentures. When teeth are removed, the patient's gums will need to heal, and this process can take several months. The advantage of immediate dentures is that the patient does not have to go without teeth while the gums are healing. However, during this time the bones and gums may shrink, and immediate dentures may therefore need to be relined or even replaced to ensure a correct fit. In some cases, dentists will recommend that the patient waits until the gums heal before having dentures fitted at all- these are "conventional" dentures.

Full upper dentures (where all the teeth on the upper jaw are replaced) are kept in place by a thin layer of saliva on the roof of the mouth- this effectively seals the dentures to the palate. Full lower dentures are harder to keep in place because of the muscles in the bottom of the mouth and tongue- however, the tongue should adapt to this over time. Denture fixative shouldn't be necessary, if the dentures have been well made.

Partial dentures usually consist of a metal or plastic frame, fitted closely to the shape of the gums, to which plastic or porcelain artificial teeth are attached. The frame is kept in place using small fastenings (metal clasps), which are affixed to the surrounding teeth. Sometimes, small grooves have to be cut into the surrounding teeth or fillings to make this possible.

After the Dentures are fitted

Although dentures are extremely beneficial, it is important to accept that they will not be the same as real teeth. Immediately after the dentures have been fitted, an increased build-up of saliva is quite common, and it is likely that your mouth will feel irritated for a few days.
At first, the dentures may feel very unusual, but the mouth will learn to adapt quite quickly. It is common for denture wearers to have difficult pronouncing certain words at first, and to experience difficulty with eating. If the latter occurs, you should begin by sticking to soft foods, cut into small pieces, and chew slowly using both sides of the mouth. You can then introduce new food as you become accustomed to the dentures, until you are eating normally again.

Cost of Dentures

In the UK you can either have NHS dental treatment or go for Private Dental treatment. According to our Whatprice figures Dentures cost £194 through the NHS and an average of £487 if you go private