We sat down with our resistant denture expert and enthusiast, Dr Amy O’Connor at Oakwood Dental Practice in North Leeds, to help explain a little more about dentures. Here’s what she had to say!
Who are dentures for?
In general, there are three ways to replace missing teeth: a removable prosthesis (a denture), or a bridge or dental implant, which are both non removable options.
In the case where there are only one or two missing teeth, a dental bridge may be the preferred option for an individual. However, if there are a number of missing teeth and the surrounding teeth are not suitable to hold a bridge, for example if an individual has gum disease, then a denture may be more suitable. Similarly, gum disease or certain health conditions may preclude patients from having implants, and a denture may be the preferred option.
There are also many sports players who have lost teeth to trauma, who choose to wear dentures until a time when they finish playing the sport, when they may choose to get a fixed option.
What are the different types of denture?
There are broadly four types of denture: acrylic, metal, flexible and implant retained (fixed).
In the event of the loss of all teeth, a complete acrylic denture would be made, or if appropriate an implant retained denture could be an option.
If there are some remaining teeth there would be the option to have a partial acrylic denture, a metal (cobalt chrome) denture or in some cases a flexi denture.
Flexi dentures are a type of removable partial denture made from a soft, bendable material—usually nylon-based thermoplastic instead of the more common acrylic or metal. They are softer and therefore adapt to mouth movements offering greater comfort. They are often thinner and more lightweight than acrylic or metal dentures so may be more easy to adapt to for a new denture wearer. They also have no visible clasps so are aesthetically pleasing.
However, flexi dentures are difficult and expensive to add to in comparison to an acrylic denture, which can usually be adapted with ease.
Metal dentures are a great option for those who want a strong and hard wearing denture. They can often feel less bulky and cover less of the gum/roof of the mouth than acrylic or flexi dentures. Metal dentures take support from the remaining teeth as opposed to the gums, so may feel more secure than acrylic dentures. Again metal dentures can be more difficult to add extra teeth to if required, and the metal clasps may in some cases be visible on smiling.
Acrylic partial dentures may be more bulky than the other types of dentures mentioned, however they are useful in cases such as where a patient may have gum disease, or teeth with questionable prognosis, as they are easily added to and adapted.
What’s the process for getting a denture fitted?
The amount of appointments and time taken to make a denture will depend on the type of denture chosen, and the individual case.
The process will always start the same way, with impressions and scans and the construction of trays bespoke to the individual’s mouth. There will also always be a ‘try in’ of any denture before it is made in the final material, where the patient can take the teeth for a ‘test drive’ if you will. At this stage the shape, shade, position… basically any element the patient wishes, can be changed. This step can be repeated until the patient is happy and confident to proceed to the finished product.
After the denture is fitted there will be a review appointment to check the fit and feel. Like a new pair of shoes, a denture needs time for adaptation and may need some adjustment while it is being ‘worn in’. This is to be expected, and all a part of the denture process!
How long will dentures last?
This is a bit of a “how long is a piece of thread” question! I have patients who come to see me with a denture they have been happy with for 25+ years but feel like the teeth have worn down with time and just want a ‘fresher model’. Likewise, I have patients who have recently had a denture made but unfortunately have lost more teeth and have found that the denture has become a poorer fit as it has been added to and/or the shape of the underlying gums have changed.
In general however, a well cared for denture in a stable mouth can last for many, many years.
What’s your favourite thing about working with dentures?
There can be challenges when working with dentures, the main being the managing of expectations and helping the patient through the denture journey. A denture is a foreign object in the mouth at the end of the day, and therefore may cause a patient to talk differently for the first few days, and it may take some time to learn to eat with them. It is also not uncommon to get some sore spots at first, and dentures may need some adjustments.
However, it is a great feeling when a patient overcomes this and then tells me that the denture feels like it is ‘part of them’, and how they feel so strange now when they don’t have it in! Hearing this and helping to restore someone’s smile and function is my favourite part of working with dentures.
I like to get to know the patient and understand what their concerns and aims are. I like to give them all the options available to them so that they can make an informed choice on which the best one may be for them. And I love to see pictures of patients prior to them losing teeth! It is a great help in trying to make dentures as natural as possible and to try and make patients feel as much like ‘themselves’ as I can.
Book your consultation
If you’re considering a denture and want to explore your options, book your consultation with Dr Amy O’Connor today by calling 0113 240 2140.
Alternatively, complete our Contact Form and we’ll be in touch!