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What are complete dentures?
“A well made complete denture gives the lost charm of a face and helps to restore the self confidence and health of a patient.”
As the name suggests these are dentures that are made when there are no teeth remaining to support partial dentures. Complete dentures can be removable or fixed, the fixed type typically being used with implants. We will be discussing removable complete denture on this page. Implant supported Fixed teeth after loss of all the teeth are discussed in Implant section.
Complete removable dentures replace all the teeth in the mouth either or both on the upper and lower jaw bone. The flanges of these dentures help to give support to facial structures by building up for the lost tissue and bone, a physiological resorption of jaw bone after loss of natural teeth.
What are the types of complete removable dentures?
Complete dentures are mostly of one of these two materials:
1. Acrylic Complete Dentures:
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These are made of acrylic. Acrylic do differ in their srength and durability. We only use either fibre glass or lucitone. It helps us to deliver a thinner, stronger, lighter and most aesthetically pleasant smile on patient’s face. |
2. Metal Complete Denture:
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When a base metal alloy is used to form the base of complete denture, it adds strength and durability at the cost of weight. Ideal for individuals with an allergy to acrylic materials. Individual using it do enjoy their food better due to better thermal sensation on their palates, that has been lost in acrylic dentures. |
What are the advantages of dentures?
Dentures can help patients through:
- Mastication as chewing ability is improved by replacing edentulous areas with denture teeth.
- Aesthetics because the presence of teeth provide a natural facial appearance, and wearing a denture to replace missing teeth provides support for the lips and cheeks and corrects the collapsed appearance that occurs after losing teeth.
- The improvement of pronunciation of those words containing sibilants or fricatives by replacing missing teeth, especially the anteriors enabling patients to speak better.
- Improving self-esteem
What are the problems one should expect with dentures?
- More saliva secretion for 1-2 days.
- Sore spots as they compress the soft tissues mucosa. A few denture adjustments for the days following insertion of the dentures can take care of this issue.
- Gagging in some cases. At times, this may be due to a denture that is too loose, too thick or extended too far posteriorly onto the soft palate. At times, gagging may also be attributed to psychological denial of the denture. Psychological gagging may necessitate an implant supported palate less denture.
- Sometimes there could be a gingivitis under the dentures, which is caused by accumulation of dental plaque.
- One of the most common problems for new full upper denture wearers is the loss of taste.
- Another problem with dentures is keeping them in place.
What are the instructions to take proper care of dentures?
Dentures need to be kept clean, free from stains and looking their best. List below will help you to get the best from your dentures:
- Remove and rinse your dentures after eating. Run water over your dentures to remove food debris and other loose particles. It is better to use a sink so that the dentures won't break if you drop them.
- Clean your mouth after removing your dentures. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush on natural teeth and gauze or a soft toothbrush to clean your tongue and palate.
- Scrub your dentures at least daily. Gently scrub your dentures using a denture cleaner, toothpaste and a denture brush or soft toothbrush to remove food, plaque and other deposits.
