FULL DENTURES

What are full dentures?

If you are missing all of your natural teeth, they can be replaced with full dentures. They are made from life-like resin teeth that are set in a gum-coloured plastic base. They fit over the gum ridge which used to support your teeth. In the upper jaw, they cover the roof of your mouth, while in the lower jaw, they fit in a horse shoe shape around your tongue.

Advantages

Aesthetics: The size, shape and colour of denture teeth can be customized to create a personalized and natural-looking smile. Dentures fill out missing teeth and gums, improving the overall facial aesthetics.
Non-Invasive: The process of getting dentures does not involve any surgical procedures.
Functionality: While not as efficient as natural teeth, dentures enable the wearer to chew and eat a variety of foods, improving their ability to enjoy a normal diet.
Affordability: Compared to other tooth replacement options like dental implants or fixed bridges, dentures tend to be more affordable

Disadvantages

Stability, Comfort & Speech: Adjusting to wearing dentures can take time and patience. Dentures may lack stability and can be prone to slipping or shifting while speaking or eating. This can cause discomfort and sore spots until people learn to stabilise the denture with the muscles in their mouth. For upper dentures, the plastic has to extend over the palate which means you do not feel temperature changes on the roof of your mouth due to the plastic layer. Initially this may also interfere with your speech. However, with practice, people are usually speaking normally in 1-2 days.
Chewing Efficiency: Despite their functional benefits, dentures may not offer the same chewing efficiency as natural teeth. Certain foods, especially hard or sticky ones, may be challenging to eat.
Maintenance and Care: While dentures are easy to remove, they do require regular cleaning to prevent the build-up of bacteria, plaque, and stains. They should ideally be cleaned daily and removed at night.

What are immediate dentures?

Immediate dentures are dentures that are made before all your teeth are removed. When you come in for the visit to have your remaining teeth extracted, the new denture is fitted at the same appointment. This means you avoid having to be ‘toothless’ at any stage.

Ongoing maintenance and denture longevity

After teeth are extracted the bone that supports them starts to shrink away and may even affect the profile of your face. This will continue slowly once your dentures are fitted but can mean they become loose with time. The problem is remedied by simply ‘relining’ the denture, or bonding a new plastic layer to the fitting surface. The profile of your face can also be filled back out by thickening the denture plastic where needed.

Dentures should easily last 10 years and commonly a lot longer. They will usually need maintenance along the way and 12 monthly examinations are still essential to check their fit and the health of the rest of your mouth.

Cost

The cost is approxiamtely $3000. This does not include the fee for any tooth extractions.