‘Immediate’ dentures can be made ahead of time and, as their name implies, they are placed immediately after your teeth are removed. They’ll even promote better healing.

As with most dental treatment, preplanning is the key. Preplanning can minimize trauma. You could consider:

A ‘Training’ partial denture.

If you already have teeth missing, you could consider placing a partial denture before transitioning to a full denture.

The partial denture will help you ‘learn’ to wear an appliance.

You will begin to develop new eating and speech habits that are required with any appliance. The partial denture however has the ability to be supported and retained by the surrounding remaining teeth, thus providing increased security and stability while learning it.

Collecting images to communicate your wishes regarding the appearance of your new teeth.

  • Teeth to be extracted are rarely in good enough condition or position to copy to a new denture.
  • Old photographs providing a glimpse of how you used to look. Photographs of children or siblings – often these people can have teeth and facial structure very similar to how yours one were.
  • Magazine and newspaper clippings can help show how you may like to change your appearance.

Phasing treatment.

This process involves two phases of teeth removal.

Firstly, the back teeth only are removed leaving the front teeth intact to provide aesthetics. This back area is allowed to completely heal and stabilize before your front teeth are removed and the immediate denture is placed.

This will result in an immediate denture that is supported over at least part of its surface area by unchanging bone. Increased stability and function in the first few months after the appliance is placed is the outcome.

What is the process for immediate dentures?

In the service industries of the modern world, speed of service can be valued higher than all else. Some dental providers proudly advertise that dentures can be made in a few short visits.

Here at Melbourne Dentist, if speed and cost are paramount to you, we have the necessary experience to condense the process to deliver economy appliances fast.
However, a Premium denture can not be made in this fashion.
A Premium denture requires a meticulous adherence to process, where the inclusion of extra steps ensures the absolute best quality appliance. Below is an outline of this process:

Visit 1:

Conventional evaluation.

Oral tissue health, bite and jaw joint function as well as oral cancer screening are amongst the things we check.

Aesthetic evaluation.

This analysis focuses on the your aesthetic wants and needs.
You are guided by us in this process by using a digital smile guide and smile test questionnaire.

This process will help us determine your preferences for teeth shape, colour, teeth positioning, improved lip and cheek support and numerous other processes used to customise the dentures.

Video capture

Captured moments from video recordings allow us to assess how your current teeth relates to your face during normal speech, smiling and laughter. By studying these we can readily determine what will be needed to improve your smile.

Impressions of your mouth are taken.

Plaster study models are fabricated from these impressions.

Before you come back for your next visit:

  • A digital smile blueprint is produced using information we discovered from your aesthetic evaluation and video capture.
  • If many teeth are already missing, ‘Wax rims’ will be fabricated by our laboratory to be used at your next visit.

Visit 2:

Smile design preview and feedback

The digital smile blueprint is presented to you using computer-generated images simulating your new teeth.

Adjustments to the design are made if necessary based on feedback from you.

Aesthetic evaluation.

This analysis focuses on the your aesthetic wants and needs.
You are guided by us in this process by using a digital smile guide and smile test questionnaire.

This process will help us determine your preferences for teeth shape, colour, teeth positioning, improved lip and cheek support and numerous other processes used to customise the dentures.

‘Wax rim’ Registration

Horseshoe-shaped rims made of wax are made to fit the plaster study models if more than a few teeth are missing.

If front teeth are already missing, multiple additions and subtractions are made to these rims after repeatedly trying them in the mouth.

The final shape of these rims will simulate the position of the teeth, gums and level of lip and cheek support.

Video capture (if front teeth are missing)

Captured moments from video recordings allow us to assess whether the proposed dimensions of the wax rims are indeed correct.

Before you come back for your next visit we direct the lab to place new acrylic teeth in the wax rims to produce a denture mock-up or ‘Try-in’ (this step is only appropriate if front teeth are already missing)

Visit 3 (this visit is only appropriate if front teeth are already missing)

Denture ‘Test drive’

Wearing the wax ‘Try-ins’ produced in the lab allows you to preview the proposed dentures in your mouth.

Adjustments to the ‘Try-ins’ are made if necessary based on feedback from you.

Video capture

Captured moments from video recordings allow us to assess whether the proposed ‘Wax try-ins’ are indeed correct.

Before you come back for your next visit the dentures are processed in hardened acrylic.

Visit 4

Teeth removal and placement of the new denture

All teeth are carefully removed and the denture is immediately placed over the wounds.

As well as providing the return of aesthetics and function, this technique greatly helps with healing. The denture works to reduce swelling and minimizes debris collection and damage of the healing wounds.

Implants supporting dentures.

After healing and denture relining, you may even be considering whether such an appliance is right for you both physically and emotionally.

For some, a removable denture just isn’t an appropriate solution to replace their teeth. Fortunately, modern technology has come to the rescue as further stabilization of dentures can be achieved with the use of implants, many times as few a two.

When implants are being considered, they are most often requested to help fix a lower denture into place.

The bone that used to house the teeth is called the residual alveolar ridge.

An upper denture is supported by this ridge and the very stable, unchanging surface of the roof of the mouth. The overall surface area can be quite large and significant suction can develop.

The lower denture is supported by a rather reduced surface area of residual ridge and can often be destabilized by the movement of the tongue.

As few as 2 implants can be used to provide incredible stability to a denture. With so few implants required, the cost is not as great as you may think. This is particularly the case when you compare it with the ongoing maintenance costs of continual unsatisfactory relines.

Not only does this stability reduce anxiety when eating and speaking, the reduced movement helps to markedly slow the ridge shrinkage into the future.

Read More

If enough implants are placed, a fixed bridge can be placed that will act just like your natural teeth. Completely fixed bridges supported by implants are now regularly used to replace removable appliances.

Read More

Instructions and care of new Immediate Dentures

Immediate dentures are placed in your mouth right after your teeth are removed. Healing continues over the next few months and as this occurs, the gums supporting your denture will shrink.

As the bulk of the changes occur in the first month, you are likely to need to return to our practice to adjust for sore spots during this time of healing. Below are tips to help you adjust to, and take care of your immediate denture.

Day 1

Leave the denture in place for 24 hours. The light pressure it applies will help to stop the bleeding and aids healing of the extraction socket.

You may drink straight away but ensure it’s not hot. Don’t swish fluid around in an attempt to clean your mouth. You may drink straight away but ensure it’s not hot. Don’t swish fluid around in an attempt to clean your mouth.

Mild discomfort for the first 48 hours is a normal part of healing. As you feel the anaesthetic wear off, consider taking some analgesic pain relief. Panadol, or Nurofen should suffice. Panadol and Nurofen taken together should control stronger pain. To help reduce swelling and bruising place a cold pack on the area where the teeth were removed. Keep your head up and rest.

There may be some oozing of blood. If you have been given antibiotics, take them as directed until they are finished.


Day 2 and beyond

After 24 hours remove your denture. Do this as carefully as you can, as the tissues will be sore.

Gently rinse your mouth with warm saltwater for 1 minute (1 teaspoon salt in a cup of warm water). Lightly brush your denture to remove any food debris or blood while rinsing your mouth, and then place the denture back in your mouth. Do this three to four times a day (particularly after you eat) and continue to do so for the next 3 days. Thereafter, you may remove the dentures as needed for cleaning.

Stitches may have been placed to help your mouth heal. If so, you will need to return to have them removed in 7 – 10 days, unless we tell you differently.


Sore Spots

You will need to return to our practice to check healing and to ease sore spots between day 3 to day 7 after tooth removal. It’s important to ensure the denture is worn for at least 24 hours prior to this appointment so that areas that the denture rubs on can be seen. Sore spots from the denture will be due to one of two things:

  • The trauma involved with the tooth removal. This should heal quickly and resolve by itself within 7 – 10 days
  • Pressure spots from the denture. These can be readily found and adjusted by us – they will not go away by themselves. Within the first few weeks, a number of these adjustments may be required as the denture settles into place.

Eating and Speaking

The new bite may not feel completely comfortable initially. The bite is generally best finalized about a week after insertion – after the dentures have settled into place. Eating may take a little practice. Start with soft foods cut into smaller pieces and chew slowly using both sides of your mouth at the same time.

Initially food may not taste the same, but as your taste buds are mainly on your tongue, this effect will be short lived. Also, avoid very hot food and drinks earl on as your ability to sense hot food and drink may also be affected.

Speaking may require some practice – the lip and tongue muscles need to learn to touch slightly different surfaces than before.  Reading out loud may speed up this process.

If you find that your dentures occasionally slip when you smile or cough, reposition them by gently biting and swallowing.


Upper vs. Lower Dentures

A well fitting upper denture has the whole palate to support it so it is likely to have moderate to strong suction. The lower denture on the other hand is supported by a U-shaped ridge and has the tongue pushing it around. An initially good fitting lower denture should have reasonable stability, but the lack of suction may see it move around a little in the early stages. Getting used to this movement takes patience. As healing occurs and the gums that the dentures rest on shrink, the dentures will become even more mobile.

After healing is complete and a refit of the inner surface of the denture is carried out, stability should improve. The reason for this is that with time, the surrounding muscles of the tongue, lips and cheeks will help keep it in position.

In the short term, you may use a denture adhesive powder to reduce this mobility until the refit and the muscles gain control.


Regular use and Denture Adhesives

During the first few days wear the dentures full time, including while you are asleep.  This will reduce swelling, help healing and allow you to adjust to your new dentures and let them settle in.  Thereafter, you should remove them before going to bed. Leave them in water to prevent any cracking or warping. Leaving them out allows your gums to rest and helps ensure oral health.

Even if you have excellent fitting dentures, there are times when an adhesive will help. Do not wear any adhesive for the first 10 days.

Thereafter, for the first month or so, a denture adhesive powder should be used rather than a paste as the denture will fit quite closely to the tissues. As the gums heal and shrink, a denture adhesive paste may become more beneficial.

Denture adhesives expand to fill any gaps and blocks access to bits of food. They can give you more confidence in public and social situations.  You will feel better about eating, talking and even playing sports, especially swimming, which puts the suction of complete dentures at risk when water gets into the mouth.

Denture fixatives work by reacting with saliva in the mouth to develop adhesive properties so a good tip is to rinse your mouth before inserting your dentures.  Press the dentures firmly into place for a few seconds and wait several minutes before eating and drinking.


Cleaning the Denture

Your dentures should be cleaned at least twice a day after eating by using a soft bristle toothbrush and liquid soap. A denture brush may make the process more efficient. It should be done over a basin filled with warm water, so that if you drop them the water will cushion the fall. The main purpose of cleaning is to remove the dental plaque and food debris that builds up on dentures – particularly on the fitting surface. Proper cleaning will prevent inflamed gums, or bacterial and fungal infections.

Avoid using regular toothpastes as they can be too abrasive and damage the highly polished, easily cleaned new surface of the dentures.

Avoid using bleaching products as they can lead to weakening of the denture as well as making it look unsightly.  Also, the use of very hot water to soak the denture can weaken the denture causing it to break.

Denture cleaning solutions can help to remove staining and bacteria. Brush your dentures before soaking, to help remove any food debris.  Soak the dentures in the cleaner for a short time and then brush the dentures again.


Denture Relines

Most of the healing, and shrinkage of your gum tissues related to this healing, will occur in the first 3 – 4 months after your teeth are removed. Therefore, the denture can not have its fitting surface ‘relined’ until most all of this shrinkage has occurred. For some, 3 – 4 months is too long to wait and an interim reline is sought to improve comfort and fit. A ‘Temporary Soft Liner’ in placed in our practice while you wait. A soft material is bonded to the underside of the denture to immediately improve the fit. There will be an additional cost for this procedure.

When first placed, dentures can feel large and bulky. When gum shrinkage occurs, the dentures can be made thinner and provide correct lip support again.

Healing and shrinkage may occur for up to 18 months and some elect to have a second reline done at this stage. None of the relines are included in the initial fee. For more information on how we go about permanently relining dentures, click here.


Denture Maintenance

Tartar can build up on dentures just as it can on natural teeth.  If plaque is not removed properly, it can react with your saliva and harden into tartar.  Once present you will not be able to remove it completely by yourself and eventually it can make the denture uncomfortable and unsightly.  We can organise to remove this tartar using an enzyme solution in an ultrasonic cleaning machine and thereafter a lab re-polish.

Dentures can also pick up staining – especially if you smoke, or drink a lot of tea, coffee or red wine.  In most cases you should be able to remove this staining with regular cleaning. However, more stubborn stains may take a little more cleaning, which we are able to help you with.


The Future

Your dentures are made from materials that are softer than your natural teeth and will eventually need replacing.  Also, your jaw bones and gums continue to shrink after your teeth are extracted, and even losing weight can change the shape of your mouth. This shrinkage is one of the main problems with dentures. Because of this shrinkage, you should plan to have your dentures and oral tissue evaluated once a year by us. A thorough check of all of the soft parts of the mouth is carried out, including the tongue and cheeks, to ensure we spot any infections, mouth conditions or even oral cancer at the earliest stages. We will let you know when refitting of the dentures are necessary as wearing ill-fitting dentures for too long can cause severe bone loss and serious oral diseases.

Before You Begin

As with most dental treatment, preplanning is the key. Preplanning can minimize trauma. You could consider:

A ‘Training’ partial denture.

If you already have teeth missing, you could consider placing a partial denture before transitioning to a full denture.

The partial denture will help you ‘learn’ to wear an appliance.

You will begin to develop new eating and speech habits that are required with any appliance. The partial denture however has the ability to be supported and retained by the surrounding remaining teeth, thus providing increased security and stability while learning it.

Collecting images to communicate your wishes regarding the appearance of your new teeth.

  • Teeth to be extracted are rarely in good enough condition or position to copy to a new denture.
  • Old photographs providing a glimpse of how you used to look. Photographs of children or siblings – often these people can have teeth and facial structure very similar to how yours one were.
  • Magazine and newspaper clippings can help show how you may like to change your appearance.

Phasing treatment.

This process involves two phases of teeth removal.

Firstly, the back teeth only are removed leaving the front teeth intact to provide aesthetics. This back area is allowed to completely heal and stabilize before your front teeth are removed and the immediate denture is placed.

This will result in an immediate denture that is supported over at least part of its surface area by unchanging bone. Increased stability and function in the first few months after the appliance is placed is the outcome.

The Process

What is the process for immediate dentures?

In the service industries of the modern world, speed of service can be valued higher than all else. Some dental providers proudly advertise that dentures can be made in a few short visits.

Here at Melbourne Dentist, if speed and cost are paramount to you, we have the necessary experience to condense the process to deliver economy appliances fast.
However, a Premium denture can not be made in this fashion.
A Premium denture requires a meticulous adherence to process, where the inclusion of extra steps ensures the absolute best quality appliance. Below is an outline of this process:

Visit 1:

Conventional evaluation.

Oral tissue health, bite and jaw joint function as well as oral cancer screening are amongst the things we check.

Aesthetic evaluation.

This analysis focuses on the your aesthetic wants and needs.
You are guided by us in this process by using a digital smile guide and smile test questionnaire.

This process will help us determine your preferences for teeth shape, colour, teeth positioning, improved lip and cheek support and numerous other processes used to customise the dentures.

Video capture

Captured moments from video recordings allow us to assess how your current teeth relates to your face during normal speech, smiling and laughter. By studying these we can readily determine what will be needed to improve your smile.

Impressions of your mouth are taken.

Plaster study models are fabricated from these impressions.

Before you come back for your next visit:

  • A digital smile blueprint is produced using information we discovered from your aesthetic evaluation and video capture.
  • If many teeth are already missing, ‘Wax rims’ will be fabricated by our laboratory to be used at your next visit.

Visit 2:

Smile design preview and feedback

The digital smile blueprint is presented to you using computer-generated images simulating your new teeth.

Adjustments to the design are made if necessary based on feedback from you.

Aesthetic evaluation.

This analysis focuses on the your aesthetic wants and needs.
You are guided by us in this process by using a digital smile guide and smile test questionnaire.

This process will help us determine your preferences for teeth shape, colour, teeth positioning, improved lip and cheek support and numerous other processes used to customise the dentures.

‘Wax rim’ Registration

Horseshoe-shaped rims made of wax are made to fit the plaster study models if more than a few teeth are missing.

If front teeth are already missing, multiple additions and subtractions are made to these rims after repeatedly trying them in the mouth.

The final shape of these rims will simulate the position of the teeth, gums and level of lip and cheek support.

Video capture (if front teeth are missing)

Captured moments from video recordings allow us to assess whether the proposed dimensions of the wax rims are indeed correct.

Before you come back for your next visit we direct the lab to place new acrylic teeth in the wax rims to produce a denture mock-up or ‘Try-in’ (this step is only appropriate if front teeth are already missing)

Visit 3 (this visit is only appropriate if front teeth are already missing)

Denture ‘Test drive’

Wearing the wax ‘Try-ins’ produced in the lab allows you to preview the proposed dentures in your mouth.

Adjustments to the ‘Try-ins’ are made if necessary based on feedback from you.

Video capture

Captured moments from video recordings allow us to assess whether the proposed ‘Wax try-ins’ are indeed correct.

Before you come back for your next visit the dentures are processed in hardened acrylic.

Visit 4

Teeth removal and placement of the new denture

All teeth are carefully removed and the denture is immediately placed over the wounds.

As well as providing the return of aesthetics and function, this technique greatly helps with healing. The denture works to reduce swelling and minimizes debris collection and damage of the healing wounds.

Implants to Support Dentures

Implants supporting dentures.

After healing and denture relining, you may even be considering whether such an appliance is right for you both physically and emotionally.

For some, a removable denture just isn’t an appropriate solution to replace their teeth. Fortunately, modern technology has come to the rescue as further stabilization of dentures can be achieved with the use of implants, many times as few a two.

When implants are being considered, they are most often requested to help fix a lower denture into place.

The bone that used to house the teeth is called the residual alveolar ridge.

An upper denture is supported by this ridge and the very stable, unchanging surface of the roof of the mouth. The overall surface area can be quite large and significant suction can develop.

The lower denture is supported by a rather reduced surface area of residual ridge and can often be destabilized by the movement of the tongue.

As few as 2 implants can be used to provide incredible stability to a denture. With so few implants required, the cost is not as great as you may think. This is particularly the case when you compare it with the ongoing maintenance costs of continual unsatisfactory relines.

Not only does this stability reduce anxiety when eating and speaking, the reduced movement helps to markedly slow the ridge shrinkage into the future.

Read More

If enough implants are placed, a fixed bridge can be placed that will act just like your natural teeth. Completely fixed bridges supported by implants are now regularly used to replace removable appliances.

Read More

Aftercare Instructions

Instructions and care of new Immediate Dentures

Immediate dentures are placed in your mouth right after your teeth are removed. Healing continues over the next few months and as this occurs, the gums supporting your denture will shrink.

As the bulk of the changes occur in the first month, you are likely to need to return to our practice to adjust for sore spots during this time of healing. Below are tips to help you adjust to, and take care of your immediate denture.

Day 1

Leave the denture in place for 24 hours. The light pressure it applies will help to stop the bleeding and aids healing of the extraction socket.

You may drink straight away but ensure it’s not hot. Don’t swish fluid around in an attempt to clean your mouth. You may drink straight away but ensure it’s not hot. Don’t swish fluid around in an attempt to clean your mouth.

Mild discomfort for the first 48 hours is a normal part of healing. As you feel the anaesthetic wear off, consider taking some analgesic pain relief. Panadol, or Nurofen should suffice. Panadol and Nurofen taken together should control stronger pain. To help reduce swelling and bruising place a cold pack on the area where the teeth were removed. Keep your head up and rest.

There may be some oozing of blood. If you have been given antibiotics, take them as directed until they are finished.


Day 2 and beyond

After 24 hours remove your denture. Do this as carefully as you can, as the tissues will be sore.

Gently rinse your mouth with warm saltwater for 1 minute (1 teaspoon salt in a cup of warm water). Lightly brush your denture to remove any food debris or blood while rinsing your mouth, and then place the denture back in your mouth. Do this three to four times a day (particularly after you eat) and continue to do so for the next 3 days. Thereafter, you may remove the dentures as needed for cleaning.

Stitches may have been placed to help your mouth heal. If so, you will need to return to have them removed in 7 – 10 days, unless we tell you differently.


Sore Spots

You will need to return to our practice to check healing and to ease sore spots between day 3 to day 7 after tooth removal. It’s important to ensure the denture is worn for at least 24 hours prior to this appointment so that areas that the denture rubs on can be seen. Sore spots from the denture will be due to one of two things:

  • The trauma involved with the tooth removal. This should heal quickly and resolve by itself within 7 – 10 days
  • Pressure spots from the denture. These can be readily found and adjusted by us – they will not go away by themselves. Within the first few weeks, a number of these adjustments may be required as the denture settles into place.

Eating and Speaking

The new bite may not feel completely comfortable initially. The bite is generally best finalized about a week after insertion – after the dentures have settled into place. Eating may take a little practice. Start with soft foods cut into smaller pieces and chew slowly using both sides of your mouth at the same time.

Initially food may not taste the same, but as your taste buds are mainly on your tongue, this effect will be short lived. Also, avoid very hot food and drinks earl on as your ability to sense hot food and drink may also be affected.

Speaking may require some practice – the lip and tongue muscles need to learn to touch slightly different surfaces than before.  Reading out loud may speed up this process.

If you find that your dentures occasionally slip when you smile or cough, reposition them by gently biting and swallowing.


Upper vs. Lower Dentures

A well fitting upper denture has the whole palate to support it so it is likely to have moderate to strong suction. The lower denture on the other hand is supported by a U-shaped ridge and has the tongue pushing it around. An initially good fitting lower denture should have reasonable stability, but the lack of suction may see it move around a little in the early stages. Getting used to this movement takes patience. As healing occurs and the gums that the dentures rest on shrink, the dentures will become even more mobile.

After healing is complete and a refit of the inner surface of the denture is carried out, stability should improve. The reason for this is that with time, the surrounding muscles of the tongue, lips and cheeks will help keep it in position.

In the short term, you may use a denture adhesive powder to reduce this mobility until the refit and the muscles gain control.


Regular use and Denture Adhesives

During the first few days wear the dentures full time, including while you are asleep.  This will reduce swelling, help healing and allow you to adjust to your new dentures and let them settle in.  Thereafter, you should remove them before going to bed. Leave them in water to prevent any cracking or warping. Leaving them out allows your gums to rest and helps ensure oral health.

Even if you have excellent fitting dentures, there are times when an adhesive will help. Do not wear any adhesive for the first 10 days.

Thereafter, for the first month or so, a denture adhesive powder should be used rather than a paste as the denture will fit quite closely to the tissues. As the gums heal and shrink, a denture adhesive paste may become more beneficial.

Denture adhesives expand to fill any gaps and blocks access to bits of food. They can give you more confidence in public and social situations.  You will feel better about eating, talking and even playing sports, especially swimming, which puts the suction of complete dentures at risk when water gets into the mouth.

Denture fixatives work by reacting with saliva in the mouth to develop adhesive properties so a good tip is to rinse your mouth before inserting your dentures.  Press the dentures firmly into place for a few seconds and wait several minutes before eating and drinking.


Cleaning the Denture

Your dentures should be cleaned at least twice a day after eating by using a soft bristle toothbrush and liquid soap. A denture brush may make the process more efficient. It should be done over a basin filled with warm water, so that if you drop them the water will cushion the fall. The main purpose of cleaning is to remove the dental plaque and food debris that builds up on dentures – particularly on the fitting surface. Proper cleaning will prevent inflamed gums, or bacterial and fungal infections.

Avoid using regular toothpastes as they can be too abrasive and damage the highly polished, easily cleaned new surface of the dentures.

Avoid using bleaching products as they can lead to weakening of the denture as well as making it look unsightly.  Also, the use of very hot water to soak the denture can weaken the denture causing it to break.

Denture cleaning solutions can help to remove staining and bacteria. Brush your dentures before soaking, to help remove any food debris.  Soak the dentures in the cleaner for a short time and then brush the dentures again.


Denture Relines

Most of the healing, and shrinkage of your gum tissues related to this healing, will occur in the first 3 – 4 months after your teeth are removed. Therefore, the denture can not have its fitting surface ‘relined’ until most all of this shrinkage has occurred. For some, 3 – 4 months is too long to wait and an interim reline is sought to improve comfort and fit. A ‘Temporary Soft Liner’ in placed in our practice while you wait. A soft material is bonded to the underside of the denture to immediately improve the fit. There will be an additional cost for this procedure.

When first placed, dentures can feel large and bulky. When gum shrinkage occurs, the dentures can be made thinner and provide correct lip support again.

Healing and shrinkage may occur for up to 18 months and some elect to have a second reline done at this stage. None of the relines are included in the initial fee. For more information on how we go about permanently relining dentures, click here.


Denture Maintenance

Tartar can build up on dentures just as it can on natural teeth.  If plaque is not removed properly, it can react with your saliva and harden into tartar.  Once present you will not be able to remove it completely by yourself and eventually it can make the denture uncomfortable and unsightly.  We can organise to remove this tartar using an enzyme solution in an ultrasonic cleaning machine and thereafter a lab re-polish.

Dentures can also pick up staining – especially if you smoke, or drink a lot of tea, coffee or red wine.  In most cases you should be able to remove this staining with regular cleaning. However, more stubborn stains may take a little more cleaning, which we are able to help you with.


The Future

Your dentures are made from materials that are softer than your natural teeth and will eventually need replacing.  Also, your jaw bones and gums continue to shrink after your teeth are extracted, and even losing weight can change the shape of your mouth. This shrinkage is one of the main problems with dentures. Because of this shrinkage, you should plan to have your dentures and oral tissue evaluated once a year by us. A thorough check of all of the soft parts of the mouth is carried out, including the tongue and cheeks, to ensure we spot any infections, mouth conditions or even oral cancer at the earliest stages. We will let you know when refitting of the dentures are necessary as wearing ill-fitting dentures for too long can cause severe bone loss and serious oral diseases.

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