A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and the surrounding gums and are coloured accordingly. There are two main types of dentures: complete and partial, plus you also get temporary dentures. Complete dentures are used when all your teeth are missing. Partial dentures are used when some of your natural teeth remain. Temporary dentures are sometimes used after you have had teeth removed. They are placed into the mouth as soon as the tooth/teeth are extracted so you never have to be without teeth and they help maintain gum structure while your gum heals and your permanent solution is being created.

The cost of the denture process depends on multiple variables: whether it’s a complete or partial denture (and how big that is), whether a temporary denture is required and if there is a need to extract teeth as part of this process. We aim to provide you with a comfortable quality denture that benefits you in numerous ways and one of those is value for money. When you have your your initial consultation we will provide you with a typed quote for you to review and can chat further with you about the quote before you accept it and we proceed with treatment.

We do our best to accommodate a variety of circumstances through your personal dental health fund so you can receive denture services you need or want now. Following your initial consultation for planned procedures you will receive a quote, which will outline your design options.

Like natural teeth, dentures over time become worn – on both sides.
Dentures usually last between 5 to 7 years and need to be readjusted (relined) every 1 to 2 years if they are not fitting as well as when we first issued them. If you do your best to follow our denture care instructions, your replacement teeth will last longer. Refer also to: Question: What is a reline, and do I need it?

This depends on the state of your teeth and gums to begin with. The end result will be that your dentures will resemble the best possible version of your natural teeth, enhancing your appearance. For some people dentures may improve your smile and fill out your facial appearance by slightly lifting your upper lip and cheeks. Be assured, you will know yourself and like what you see!

We do our best to design dentures to resemble your natural teeth, so usually not. Even if you have had dentures for many years, with modern technology we can now get a closer match to your original teeth. Bring in your photos, particularly ones of you in your 20s and 30s! and we’ll mimic or even improve on them. With quality dentures you will be able to speak, chew and look just like someone with natural teeth. And one little suggestion: avoid playing with them with your tongue – that does give it away!

It will take a little bit of time, maybe up to a few weeks, for your tongue and the muscle in the floor of your mouth adapt to any changes in tooth positioning and extensions that have been made with the new dentures. The key is patience and practice. We suggest you read out loud and repeat difficult words to help overcome any minor speech problems.

Eating will take some practice, particularly for first time denture wearers. We recommend starting with softer foods cut into small pieces so you can develop a “feel” for chewing with dentures.

After a few weeks if you experience a lot of tipping or movement of your dentures during chewing then please get in touch. We are committed to ensuring a comfortable and assured fit so you can enjoy a normal and varied diet without discomfort or embarrassment.

It’s important to be realistic and expect that it will take some time to get used to your dentures and to realise that everyone is different. Sometimes it will take 6 to 10 weeks to adjust to new dentures. The muscles of your cheeks and tongue need to learn to keep your dentures in place. This will become more comfortable over time but early on you may have some soreness or irritation. But good news: this too will pass.

After we fit your dentures we schedule a follow-up appointment two weeks afterwards. During this time you may develop some sore spots. Try and leave the dentures in your mouth for as long as possible before you come in for your appointment. We can then see what is causing the problem and fix these issues with slight adjustments. After this settling in period, please contact our clinic and arrange an appointment if your denture starts to hurt you.

Generally speaking we advise leaving your dentures out for at least 8 hours a day to give the tissue supporting your denture a chance to rest. For most people this is easier managed by removing dentures before sleeping, however, this is a personal call. Our dental prosthetist will discuss this with you.

We encourage the use of special denture toothpaste as regular toothpaste can damage your dentures. The best way to clean your denture is either holding them over a sink filled with water or over a folded towel. In the event you drop them, this soft landing will save them from being damaged. When your dentures are fitted we provide a starter pack, which includes sample toothpaste and a daily denture care information leaflet.

When not wearing your dentures, we recommend keeping them in the complementary denture box we provide. It will protect them from any unforeseen accidents and be easy for you to locate.

As you age the bone under your gums that support your dentures slowly shrink. For some people this bone loss happens a little faster after their natural teeth are extracted. The rate is different person to person (depending on genetics, diet and age) but for most, it is a measurable change every two to five years.

With gradual bone loss dentures become looser. Indications that change has taken place include symptoms such as: food getting under plates, less stability when chewing, and more frequent sore spots.

Even for patients who experience no noticeable symptoms the shrinkage factor is still happening. Poorly fitted dentures can lead to more rapid loss of ridge, making it more difficult for patients to wear dentures in later years. So it’s important to stay on top of this with relining.

What we do is take an impression to create a new record of your ridges. We then remove and rebuild the fitting surfaces of your dentures, keeping the teeth part intact. When finished your updated denture will fit properly, much like a brand new denture.