Full dentures are an economical substitute for not having teeth. Unfortunately, they are not a replacement for your natural teeth

The loss of natural teeth due to damage or decay can affect not just your smile, but your ability to eat and speak correctly. Dentures don’t just replace your missing teeth, but they give you back your smile, ability to eat effectively and reduce the risk of any other natural teeth moving.

Full Dentures are for people who have no teeth on the upper and/or lower jaw and they are a great economical substitute for not having teeth. At The Denture Clinic, we aim to make your dentures look and feel as natural as possible.

The way a conventional full upper denture remains in the mouth is mainly by suction created from the border of the denture to hold them in place. The downfall to this is that they generally cover your whole palate in order to create the suction.

Conventional full lower dentures do not have the suction, retention, or stability that you will experience with a conventional full upper denture. The size and shape of the lower gums, tongue, and cheeks play a major role in the ability of a full lower denture to stay in place and unfortunately, even a well-made full lower denture will have some form of movement in the mouth. This movement of the full lower denture is what most people struggle with, especially during eating.

Not all mouths are created equal, therefore an oral examination by The Denture clinic will determine which course of action to take in order to create the best possible dentures for their patients. There are many issues that need to be addressed prior to the construction of dentures, especially in the elderly who have been wearing dentures for many years. Some issues include:

• The current state of a patients gums when having new dentures made will determine:
  • If any gum rehabilitation is needed prior to taking impressions of the gums.
  • Which impression material should be used.
  • Which materials are used for the base of the denture, and if a hard base is OK, or if a soft silicone-based material is more appropriate.
• Any TMJ/jaw-related issues
  • This needs to be addressed prior to the construction of new dentures in order for the new dentures to be successful. Our aim is to eliminate any jaw-related issues which have been caused by current ill-fitting dentures, either due to a wrong bite, or excessively worn-down teeth.
• Any allergies a patient may have
  • It is very rare, but some patients may be allergic to certain chemicals found in standard materials used during the construction of a denture, therefore we have equipped our clinic to provide numerous material options for our patients.

Alternatives to a conventional full upper or lower dentures are implant retained and supported dentures. These are an excellent alternative as they rely on mechanical attachments in order to keep the dentures in place. More information can be found here