Thinking About New Dentures?

If we already have dentures, either full or partial, and they are a few years old, we probably remember the number of appointments involved and the mouthful of impression material needed to get them made.

Technology marches on, and newer, more streamlined and comfortable procedures can now be used. Future Dental has been an early adopter of this digital workflow, and our patients give us very positive feedback.

If we are now considering, or have been advised to have, all our teeth removed — or just the teeth in the upper or lower jaw — the procedures have never been quicker or easier.

This is often the case with partial dentures as well, where there may be a few gaps where teeth are missing or are proposed to be removed before fitting new partial dentures.

Two-visit dentures are the new norm for any type of partial denture.

In most cases, a scanner is used to record the existing position of our teeth and we decide on the final shade (colour) of our new dentures. The new dentures can then be made in just one more appointment.

Using a scanner instead of impressions is possible in the majority of cases, and people generally find this much more comfortable than having impressions in the mouth.

There are still a few situations where impressions may be required, but these are infrequent.

From the scans taken instead of impressions, 3D-printed models of our jaws and teeth are made, and the workflow used to construct our dentures is completed digitally.

These two images demonstrate a full upper jaw awaiting a new upper denture, and a lower jaw awaiting a partial denture.

In the case of a full denture, if we are replacing an existing older denture, we will be asked what we dislike about our old one. We may also need to change how much of our front teeth are noticeable when we smile and when our mouth is relaxed.

A new denture should not make us look older.

An old denture that is 15 years old or older often has teeth that have become worn, short and uneven, while the gums gradually shrink over time. This can result in an aged appearance. Because these changes happen so slowly, we are often unaware of what others may be seeing when they look at us.

Sometimes a little more tooth display can make us look 10 years younger, as can choosing a slightly lighter shade of teeth.

A 3D-printed base plate with a wax rim may be used to simulate the desired position of our front teeth while we choose a new shade (colour) for our new denture.

The standard shade guide used in making dentures.

With a new full denture, we will usually have a 3D-printed replica of the final denture made so that any minor changes can be fine-tuned before the finished new full denture is made and fitted.

A shorter turnaround time, fewer visits and more comfortable appointments can now be expected with this digital workflow for making new dentures.

Read more about our dentures here and reach out to us if you’d like to know more