Expectations for Dentures and Partials:
If you’ve lost your teeth, dentures and partials are important for looks, chewing and dental health. Most people become very comfortable with their dentures. However, nothing completely replaces your natural teeth. Chewing will always be compromised. Some people never learn to tolerate a removable appliance.

Adjustments:
New dentures or partials require an adjustment period. Even if you’ve had dentures before, a new set feels different. Chewing may be difficult at first. Start with soft foods, and work back up to harder foods. You may lisp when you talk for a few days. Read out loud and that should resolve itself quickly. You may salivate a lot, until your mouth gets used to the new appliance. You may have sore spots, or your bite may feel uneven. These are adjustments that need to be made in this office. The cost of your dentures includes 3 adjustments.

Life Expectancy:
The American Dental Association suggests that many people need to have their dentures or partials remade as often as every 7 years (a reline or repair sometimes extends use). If your dentures become loose, and you continue to wear them, you can create a problem on your gums that can require surgery before a new pair can be made. A yearly visual exam to screen for cancer, clean your dentures and check their fit can prevent this from happening.

Immediate Dentures:
If you get your denture the same day as your teeth extraction, we call these immediate dentures. Obviously, your gums and jawbones will heal a great deal in the first six weeks, and the dentures become loose. Often a reline is required at this stage. Sometimes a second reline is required sometime during the first year. Sometimes the dentures need to be remade after the first year. Not everyone will need all this treatment, but some will.

Additional Fees and Procedures:
Sometimes additional surgical procedures are required before or after making the dentures. Dentures and partials can require repairs. Small changes in your bite can trigger pre-existing problems in your joint to lead to joint dysfunction.

Care of:
It is best to leave removable appliances out of your mouth while you sleep. If you leave your partials out of your mouth longer than overnight, your other teeth may shift, and your partials may not seat back in. If you are having trouble wearing your partials, make an appointment right away. Always seat your partials or dentures with finger pressure, if you bite them into place, they may warp or break. Use care when cleaning your partials or dentures, they may break when dropped.

Alternatives:
Dentures are no longer the only way to restore a mouth that has little or no non-restorable teeth. Strategically placed support, or implants, can now be used to support permanently cemented bridges, eliminating the need for a denture. The cost tends to be greater, but the implants and bridges more closely resemble the "feel" of real teeth. Dental implants are becoming the alternative of choice to dentures, but not everyone is a candidate for implants. Call your dentist for advice.