Dentures

While we want to save all the teeth we can here at Fairlawn Family Dental that is not always possible. A denture is a way to replace all the bottom or all the top teeth, commonly called a ‘plate’. A denture will never feel or function as well as the original teeth, but it will allow for improved esthetics as well as mastication of food. We work with a dental lab to fabricate dentures in a multi-step process. To fabricate a new upper or lower denture takes approximately 6-8 weeks with multiple appointments each with their own purpose listed below. 

1. Diagnostic Impressions - At this visit upper and lower impressions will be taken. These are used to make casts that the dentist will use to fabricate a custom tray made to fit just in your mouth. 
2. Final Impression - The custom tray made from the previous appointments cast is used for a process called border molding. A material is placed on the edge of the tray to allow us to capture what the exact shape of the border or edge of your denture should be. A final impression is then taken to attempt to capture the structures of your mouth accurately to allow the lab to fabricate a denture that fits as ideally as possible. 
3. Wax Rims - The lab uses the final impression taken at the second appointment to make what’s called a baseplate with wax rims. The base plate looks like a denture but is not made of the same material, and where the teeth should be is a wax rim. This allows the dentist to measure how tall the teeth should be and in what position they should be oriented for ideal esthetics and function.
4. Wax Try In - The lab adds the teeth we have selected to the wax on the baseplate allowing the patient to try in the teeth and visualize what their final denture will look like. This allows the dentist to verify the correct positioning of the teeth to allow for proper eating and speech as well as ensuring the proper shape and shade of the teeth selected. 
5. Delivery - If all goes well at the wax try in the denture is sent back to the lab for final processing. The day of delivery we will check to see if any adjustments are needed. Typically a few adjustment appointments will be necessary to fine tune the fit of the denture. 

Once completed dentures require specific care different from caring for natural teeth. First of all you should always remove your dentures at night, you should never sleep in them. Your gum tissue needs time to breathe and your muscles relax. When out of the mouth your dentures should always be stored in water, never leave them out and let them get dry this can cause the acrylic the denture is made of to change shape. To clean your dentures you should use a denture brush or regular toothbrush WITHOUT toothpaste, the abrasives in toothpaste actually scratch your dentures. A denture cleanser can also be used each night when the denture is placed in water, but you should never boil your dentures or clean them with anything other then denture cleaner.  If your denture needs further adjustment call our office and make an appointment if you try to adjust the denture yourself you can cause irreversible damage that the dentist will not be able to repair. 

Any questions about the process of fabricating dentures or caring for your dentures please call the office at 540-639-6688.