Custom Dentures in Forest Hills
Do you need to replace multiple teeth at once? At Forest Hills Dental, we offer a variety of different denture options to help you smile with confidence!
What is a Denture?
Dentures are removable prosthetics that replace all of your missing teeth with a single treatment. They can be a smaller partial appliance that clips into place around your existing teeth, or a full “plate” that covers your entire arch.
Aside from offering quick results, our Forest Hill dentures also tend to be the most affordable (cheapest) way to replace missing teeth. Some people choose to invest in a denture while planning for a more long-term solution, such as dental implants.
Full Dentures
A traditional “plate” or full denture is one that covers the entire upper or lower arch of your mouth at one time. If you have any existing teeth, they’ll need to be extracted prior to wearing a full denture.
Conventional dentures rely on suction between the appliance and your gum tissues (including the roof of your mouth.) A proper fit helps to keep the suction tight, and thereby hold your denture in place throughout the day.
Lower dentures don’t have as large of a surface area, so it needs muscles in your lips, tongue, and cheeks to help hold it into place since there isn’t much of a suction.
Additionally, full dentures help add depth and support to your facial profile, which might otherwise look sunken-in after tooth loss.
Implant Stabilized Dentures
If you have a fair amount of bone loss or struggle with keeping your denture in place throughout the day, you may want to consider an implant stabilized/supported denture. In some cases, Dr. Mark may even be able to retrofit your existing prosthesis, so that you don’t need to have a new one made (this is determined on a case by case basis.)
With a stabilized denture, our Forest Hills implant dentist will place anywhere from 2-4 implants in your upper or lower arch. Each one will have a special abutment that snaps into your denture, holding it in place. You won’t have to worry about messy pastes or denture creams.
An “all on four” denture is like a hybrid dental bridge that’s permanently set into place. They aren’t removable like a stabilized denture or traditional plate.
Rather, your All on 4 appliance is attached on top of four strategically placed implants; there’s no need to have an individual implant for each tooth that’s missing.
Partial Dentures
If you still have several healthy teeth, our Forest Hills dentist will want to avoid extracting them. Instead, keeping them is best for your facial profile and the bone health of your jaws.
Since a full denture won’t fit if you still have healthy teeth, a partial denture is created instead. These appliances have a small framework that clips into place around the rest of your smile, only replacing the teeth that are missing.
Partials can be made out of pink acrylic bases, which are more aesthetic and flexible. But for multiple missing teeth, a more durable, metal framework base is best.
Getting Used to Your New Smile
Our Forest Hills dentures are custom designed to each individual, giving you a straight white smile that looks great. But having a new prosthesis inside of your mouth can take a bit of getting used to, especially at the very beginning.
For the first several days, we recommend cutting your food up into smaller pieces and sticking to a softer diet. Plan to spend a few days eating at home or on your own, before venturing out for a dinner party with friends.
The same can be said for learning to talk comfortably with your new dentures. Practice in front of a mirror, learning how to adjust the way you enunciate words slightly differently than you had before. With a bit of practice, you’ll do fine!
If You Wear Your Dentures Overnight
Taking your dentures out at night is vital to the future health of your smile. Unless you have an All on 4 appliance, dentures should be removed and soaked overnight. Extended wear while you sleep can accelerate the natural process of bone loss, prematurely altering the shape of your mouth. When this happens, it can cause the denture to fit loosely and rub the skin underneath. Sometimes sore spots will even develop.
Denture Care and Maintenance
Soak your denture overnight to loosen any buildup or bacterial accumulation that occurred throughout the day. Just like your natural teeth, dentures can get plaque buildup too.
Use an approved denture cleanser, such as an effervescent cleansing tablet, instead of harsh chemicals. Abrasive scrubs or hot water can permanently alter the shape and appearance of your new denture. Be sure that your denture is fully immersed and allow it to set overnight.
In the morning, use a soft denture brush to clean away the loosened buildup and then rinse it well with lukewarm tap water. Before putting your denture back in, clean the inside of your mouth with an extra-soft toothbrush or washcloth. Brush and floss any existing teeth, too.
Do I Still Need Dental Checkups?
Bring your denture in during your dental checkup every six months. If our Forest Hills denture dentist needs to make adjustments, we can arrange to do so. But even if you don’t have any teeth, Dr. Mark needs to make sure your denture is performing as it ought to, while screening for diseases such as oral cancer.
While you’re here, we’ll clean your denture to remove any calcified deposits or stain accumulation that can’t be removed with traditional home care.
Denture Repairs in Forest Hills
Just because you have dentures doesn’t mean you’re immune to the occasional dental emergency. At Forest Hills Dental, we understand that accidentally dropping your denture can lead to broken appliances that hurt or are embarrassing to wear.
If you’ve found yourself with a damaged denture or partial, please contact our practice. We’ll evaluate your prosthesis to determine if it can be repaired in our office, by our lab, or if a replacement is needed.
Stacey Pino-McCoo 02/19/2019
I LOVE Forest Hills Dental! I have had extreme anxiety when it comes to the dentist. Dr. Mark and the Forest Hills Dental team is the only Dentist to make me feel relaxed. They are extremely professional, use the latest dental technology and are always super friendly. I have been going to Forest Hills Dental for over 10 years and I am always happy when I leave there. Over the years I have had 2 dental emergencies of which they were able to get me in right away. I actually like going to the dentist now thanks to Dr. Mark! I highly recommend Forest Hills Dental!
Kyeseone P. 02/14/2019
My visit with Dr. Mark was excellent. The office is warm and friendly. Services are always punctual.