Dentures are removable appliances that are made to replace a single missing tooth or right through to all teeth missing. They are made from various forms of acrylic plastic and/or with a cast chrome framework with acrylic plastic teeth and gums.
There are many types;
Plastic Partial Denture
This denture is made to replace one or more missing teeth and relies on some suction and fitting closely to existing teeth to stay in place. There may be some wire claps to help hold it in place. A plastic partial denture is considered a budget type of denture and usually has moderate cosmetics and doesn’t stay in place all that well. The chewing efficiency is usually only up to 20%.
A Valplast Partial Denture
This type of denture is made from a flexible plastic and fits more intimately to the oral structures giving improved fit. This denture seems to be more comfortable with a moderate price tag. Chewing efficiency is probably in the 30%-40% range.
A Metal Partial Denture
This denture is made from a cast chrome framework that has clasping systems that fit closely around teeth. This gives the best retention and comfort of all partial dentures. The teeth and gum areas are made from plastic. This is the most expensive denture type. Chewing efficiency is approximately 60%.
Full Upper and Lower Dentures
These dentures are made in matching sets when all teeth have been removed and are the most demanding of all dentures to wear comfortably and successfully. Most patients accept that full denture wearing has many limitations and they make the most of a difficult situation. Cosmetically full dentures, if made well, can look good. Retention and the ability to chew and speak are the greatest challenges for most patients. The best chewing efficiency for full dentures is approximately 20%. Full dentures can become loose with time due to natural shrinkage of the jaws or by a patient losing weight. This may necessitate getting new dentures every few years or getting a new internal fit of the dentures by carrying out a reline process.
Immediate Dentures
For many of us to have teeth removed, particularly front teeth without having a replacement for them is something which is embarrassing and socially unacceptable. We have a solution for this situation. We pre-make your dentures before the teeth are removed. Therefore as soon as your teeth are removed we fit the immediate dentures into place. So in other words you come in with your own teeth and go home with a denture in place. On many occasions no one notices the difference. As healing occurs the denture is adjusted to suit the shrinkage and remodelling of the gum tissues and the denture can become loose. To temporarily tighten the denture we can put soft liners in the internal surface of the denture to tighten them up and make them more comfortable. Between 3-6 months healing we re-evaluate the gums and denture. If remodelling of the gums is moderate we can reline the denture to get a good final fit. On occasions if there has been a large amount of remodelling of the gums and a denture reline is not adequate to get a good end result, we have to make a new denture.
Emergency Denture
In an accident teeth can be knocked out which is hugely traumatising for anyone that it has happened to and quite often it is front teeth that are involved. We have a quick response system that will have an emergency denture made within a day or so to replace the lost tooth or teeth. Please phone: 835 6253 [ACC Information]
Delay Dentures
Some patients when they have had teeth out don’t mind going through the healing phase without replacing the lost teeth. After 3-6 months healing we can then make the required dentures (s). There can be slightly less cost involved in this type of denture because we don’t go through the reline or remake process. In most cases our patients choose delay dentures when only back teeth are missing and immediate dentures when the missing teeth can be seen or chewing is difficult.
Champagne Quality Denture Work
Dental on Raffles offers a unique denture service for the patient who wants more than “run of the mill” stock appearance.
Fully characterised dentures to replica how your own natural teeth appeared including tooth size, colour and positioning can be achieved. This denture has appeal for the patient who wants to have dentures that replicate closely natural teeth. We have made a model denture contrasting a stock factory look on the left side and our champagne look on the right side.