Dentures West London
When gaps in the smile have been created by tooth loss, dentures are a way of providing replacement teeth either as a temporary or long term solution depending on the individual needs of the patient.
Dentures can be made to replace a single tooth, several teeth or be made as a complete set of false teeth.
If a tooth has been lost as a result of an accident, such as fall or sporting injury, a single tooth denture can be made as an emergency in just one day.
Generally for larger spaces more detailed information would be required and this would be collected over a series of four appointments.
How We Make Dentures
Dentures are made by taking impressions of the jaws and teeth, from which a specialist dental laboratory will produce and fabricate a set of cosmetic teeth on a metal or acrylic framework.
The laboratory can reproduce, as close as possible the original look of the lost teeth or change the aesthetics if so requested. To do this, we need the provision of bite measurements, colour and shape of the desired teeth, alongside clinical photographs.
Benefits of Dentures
Dentures can be an excellent way of providing extra teeth relatively quickly, but do take some getting used to, both in terms of speech and eating.
Patients tend to adapt within 1 month, and then find that comfort levels are such that they can continue as they are until they are in a position to consider longer term solutions like dental implants or bridges if viable.
If bridges and implants are not suitable, the denture itself, could be a longer-term option, assuming that the remaining teeth and gums are healthy and stable. This would be assessed at the treatment planning stages and the type of denture construction would be made on that basis.
Dentures can also be stabilised or fixed by connecting them to dental implants. This is a more advanced technique and would need significant amount of due diligence, but is the most secure way of securing dentures and stop them from moving around.
Dentures FAQs
What is a denture?
Quite simply a false tooth/teeth on an acrylic or metal base.
Why would I need a denture?
If you have missing teeth due to an accident or dental disease, a denture can provide a quick way of filling the gap.
How do dentures fix in?
They are normally held in by suction to the gums and support from the remaining teeth. Additional clasps can be attached to help the denture ‘click’ in. In advanced cases dentures can be held in by dental implants.
Can you leave the denture in all day?
It’s generally advisable for hygiene reasons to leave the denture out at night. They should be cleaned by washing with water and soaking in a sterile solution.