Lets face it, in my years of experience I have yet to have someone tell me "Im so glad I don't have teeth anymore because I love these dentures so darn much". With that said, no one should have a miserable experience with dentures either; in fact their purpose is great, they are there to restore many of the things we're sure you love - Eating food, Talking, Smiling, increased self confidence, etc... There are many options available to denture wearers these days and advancements in dentistry have made dentures a much better experience than they were years ago.
Click here for more information on newer alternatives to dentures in our implant section.
{Antique dentures, made with ivory, metal and springs}
At Old Hook Dental we have a full line of denture solutions available to replace your missing teeth:
Complete (full) dentures :
Complete dentures are for people who are currently missing all of their teeth. They rely on contact with as much tissue surface as possible and underlying hard bone for support and stability. Simply put - the more area the denture covers, the more secure it will be. Having a set of traditional complete dentures made will involve numerous steps and appointments briefly explained below.
On the first appointment an exam is performed of course, X-rays will usually not be necessary (on most occasions) as there are no teeth. Impressions are taken to pour working models or to fabricate custom fit impression trays for a more accurate impression. On occasion some surgical alterations will be recommended to remove less than supportive tissues or alter bone to remove sharp spurs or other things that may interfere with a good fit.
Next appointment we will have received wax rims from the lab. These are basically the base of the denture with a piece of wax on them. The rims will act as mock teeth, we will adjust the wax so your smile, speech and bite are at its best, it will also communicate with the lab the length and positioning of the teeth. At this time, color, size and shape of the final teeth will be selected by you, with our guidance.
The rims will return from the lab once again with the correct teeth in place set in the previous wax so further adjustments can be made. This is the most important visit in the process. At this point, it will look similar to the final denture you will receive. First and foremost we want to confirm that you are happy with the function and esthetics, everything can be changed and adjusted at this point, so we strongly encourage you to address any concerns you may have at this appointment. Following this point, we are committed to the denture, it will be returned to the lab for final processing (point of no return).
Lastly, this is the moment you have been waiting for! Your new dentures arrive at the office for insertion. We will try them in, see how they feel and fit and make any adjustments. The fit of a denture is different in every patient and is determined by the amount of tissue and bone you started with. At this point your denture is ready to go out into the world. We truly hope you enjoy them. From here you can return if you feel further adjustment is necessary, but we highly encourage you to avoid them (unless absolutely necessary), too many adjustments is not a good thing, you are trading their fit for immediate relief. By allowing your tissue to re-work it self around the denture it will provide you much better long term results. Obviously if there is an area that is nagging you, we'll be more than happy to adjust them for you.
Partial dentures : with metal or acrylic framework
Metal partial dentures have a framework that is cast to precisely fit your teeth after they have been modified for the denture to rest on without interfering with your natural bite. The partial denture is supported by tooth structure with clasps around them and rests on top. Using this method creates a very secure, retentive denture and since the framework is mainly supported by teeth, there is less tissue irritation. With little to no soft contact and hard support this an ideal solution for people with symptoms of bruxism or TMJ issues. The metal is predominantly cast from Chromium-Cobalt alloy, which can be made extremely thin and is incredibly strong.
Acrylic partials believe it or not are typically considered to be less desirable than metal ones. Despite their higher esthetics the trade-off for that is strength, durability and comfort - due to their all acrylic design, they are often bulkier than their metal counter part to compensate on strength. They do, however, offer the advantages that they are more affordable, esthetic, additional teeth can be added to it if further teeth are lost and clasps can be made from clear acrylic.
Both materials can be combined to make a partial denture that has a metal framework with all of its strength benefits and acrylic or nylon clasps made from clear, tooth or tissue colored material to increase the esthetics.
Immediate dentures : Conventional and Interim
Immediate dentures are just what the name implies. They are dentures you receive (the same day) immediately upon extraction of any remaining hopeless teeth, they can be used on a temporary short term basis (Interim) or relined and used as a final denture (Conventional). The greatest benefit to immediate dentures is you will never have to be seen without teeth. Having a denture placed early will greatly aid in developing speech patterns, preserve facial appearance, height, muscle tone and eliminate learning to speak and eat without a denture then relearning these functions with a denture months later.
Conventional immediate dentures are used in cases where either most of the back teeth are already missing or are going to be extracted. If present, for this type of denture extractions will be done in two visits. The back teeth will be extracted, followed by 4-6 weeks of healing at which point the immediate denture will be made and provided when the front teeth are removed.
Interim immediate dentures are used on a temporary basis. They are used in cases where front and back teeth remain but need to be removed. The teeth will all be extracted and the denture inserted at the same appointment. The main difference between these two types is the longevity, a conventional is more affordable because it can be converted into a final prosthesis where an interim cannot, instead they are kept as a backup set when a new denture is made.
Once the teeth are extracted, the new denture is immediately inserted directly over the extraction site. This provides teeth for you to eat, speak and it acts as sort of a band aid for the teeth sockets, to promote healing, reduce pain and bleeding. They are fabricated while you still have your natural teeth so there is no trial stage with immediate dentures - the first time you get to see and feel them in your mouth is on the day of extraction when they are placed and they may initially not fit well or become increasingly loose. This is considered normal for this type of denture as your mouth restructures and heals.
Should the denture begin to feel loose before healing is complete, we will recommend re-lining it with a soft rubber-like material that should improve function. At Old Hook Dental the first soft reline is included for re-fitting your denture as part of our service. After the soft tissues have healed and remodeling of bone has minimized (roughly 6mo-1yr) you have a decision to make - Does this denture meet your needs? If you are happy with it, then it can be finalized by a permanent hard-reline (conventional only) or replaced with a new set. Although optional, we strongly recommend doing one or the other as you will have better long term success.
Transitional dentures :
Transitional dentures are used when a patient has some remaining teeth, but their eventual loss is inevitable. However, being dentists, we want to hold on to your teeth as long as possible, that is where a transitional denture comes in handy. It is technically a full denture converted to temporarily act like a partial denture. Holes are added where your natural teeth remain so the denture can be held in place by using clasps or rubber type gaskets for retention around the teeth. As teeth are lost, new teeth can be added to it until you "Transition" into a complete denture.
Flexible dentures :
Flexible dentures unlike traditional dentures are made of a soft, flexible material (nylon) and do hold some pros and cons when compared to the latter - with the main two down sides being increased cost and the inability to reline or repair them, instead they require being replaced. Being the material of this denture is flexible, it is much more comfortable and forgiving for the user to wear in addition to their extreme durability. It has tissue colored clasps that wrap around adjacent teeth for good retention and an overall good wearing and chewing experience. The base of the denture in comparison to other models is relatively thin and also tissue colored giving it an esthetically pleasing, hard to detect appearance. They are more resistant to stain, odors and breakage than other denture types. They are perfect for patients with a few missing teeth and allergies to metals or acrylic used in other dentures.
Flippers :
A flipper is a lightweight, removable denture that usually serves as a temporary tooth replacement option. It is mainly tissue supported with flexible wrought wire clasps built into the base. It is one of the quickest and affordable removable partial denture solutions there is. Their function is to keep you from having to walk around with a visible gap in your teeth for several weeks while healing occurs and a more permanent solution is available, although people tend to use them for extended periods of time despite it not being recommended. They give you an improved ability to smile and go in public while you're waiting to get permanent dentures or implants. Besides being affordable, new teeth can easily be added to maintain your smile if other teeth develop problems and need to be removed. While they can look just as esthetic as more expensive alternatives, they are not quite as durable and meant as a temporary solution to lost teeth.
Essix Retainer :
The Essix retainer is a short term, temporary solution to a missing tooth. It is a clear retainer (similar to our ClearCorrect trays) with a replacement tooth filling in the space for the missing tooth. Most people will not notice it in being it is clear, the rest simply tell people they are having minor orthodontic work done and no one is the wiser. This appliance must be removed during eating and sleep - it is for cosmetic purposes only.
Overdentures : Tooth- or Implant-supported
Overdentures are a removable denture appliance that rests on gum tissue and it is inserted "over" something for retention. That something can be either remaining natural teeth, remnants of teeth, implants or bars supported by implants. Modern dentistry with the usage of implants has opened many options to denture wearers that greatly benefit their lives.
Tooth-supported overdentures can be advantageous to the patient in many ways if there are a few strong natural teeth left, or root canal treated teeth. These teeth can be modified and covered to support and retain the denture, protect the teeth below while giving natural sensory feedback to the wearer and preserve bone that would otherwise be resorbed by the body. If the teeth are not in great shape, but the roots are still serviceable and have been root canal treated, they can be modified as well. In addition, they are much more affordable than their implant counterpart.
Natural tooth overdenture Root overdenture
Implant-supported overdentures are best for patients who have either lost all of their remaining teeth or they are not serviceable. Implants being used in combination with a dentures has been a gift to people who use them, the improvement in function and retention is tremendous - even with as little as two implants in certain cases. However, this is by no means a free "gift:" implant-supported dentures are rather expensive when you factor in the additional cost of the implants, plus the time associated with healing (4-6 months). Affordability is usually the main barrier between a traditional denture and an implant-supported denture because there is no comparison in terms of patient quality of life with this type of denture. The greatest benefit over a traditional denture is they can be held quite retentively in situations that would otherwise be difficult or where a denture would almost be useless to the patient - lack of bone support from resorption, patients who gag and can not tolerate a full denture, etc...
Implant-supported overdenture Implant/Bar-supported overdenture
Mini-Implant-supported dentures :
The mini-implant and denture combination is a quicker, more affordable alternative to a regular implant-supported overdenture. It gives current denture wearers the ability to keep and convert their favorite traditional dentures to a more retentive mini-implant denture or a new mini-implant denture can be made if this is your treatment of choice. Besides being a quicker procedure and more affordable, mini-implants can generally be loaded immediately unlike the implants described above: meaning there is no healing period, they can be placed with minimal anesthesia and without incisions - allowing you to use the denture right away. The benefit of traditional implants over mini is they are held stronger (they are both made from Titanium but a traditional implant is bigger) but there are situations were an implant cannot be placed due to the amount of remaining bone, a mini-implant will work well in this case.
Mini-Implant Overdenture
Duplicate dentures :
If you are happy with your current denture, or having a new set made and would like a duplicate set to be fabricated as a back-up in case of emergency, breakage, the original needs to go in for repair or adjustments - whatever the reason, fabricating a replica copy of the denture can be done cheaply and quickly. A duplicate of your current or new denture is made using the existing denture for a mold and the duplicate is fabricated out of tooth and gum colored plastics to replicate the original. This set is considered a back-up, they are not adjusted and fine tuned like your originals, this keeps them being way more affordable. They are made from plastic meaning the quality and esthetics will not be as high, the fit and feel should be relatively close to your original (because they are made directly from them). Please note - this is NOT considered a replacement or second pair of your original denture: it is a quick, cheap duplicate made from your own denture in case of emergency or as a back-up. If you would like to have a second set of the original made, that can also be done at Old Hook Dental as well.
At Old Hook Dental, for new and first-time denture wearers alike we make the comparison of dentures to a new pair of sneakers. At first they are tight, stiff, hurt your feet, cut your heels and many other things. After weeks of wear, they become your new favorite shoes. The principle is the same here, there is a learning curve and you have to work with your dentures so they can become your "new favorite teeth." We do our best to provide a well-fitting, functioning and esthetically pleasing denture for you to enjoy for years of use, but all of that means nothing if you don't wear and adjust to them. We are here to help with the learning curve and will periodically adjust your dentures as necessary (please keep in mind - too many adjustments is not good). For our seasoned denture veterans, if your dentures have become worn out, broken, or you would like a second set, please feel free to pay us a visit at Old Hook Dental (bring your denture) and we'll be more than happy to have them made for you.
Call to schedule your appointment with us at Old Hook Dental (201) 358-5005