A denture is a dental appliance that is inserted in the mouth, replaces natural teeth and provides support for the cheeks and lips. Most dentures are made of a flesh colored acrylic base with natural-looking artificial teeth. There are two main types of dentures.
Conventional Dentures
A conventional denture is made after all teeth have been extracted and the tissues (gums) have healed. Impressions are made of the tissues, and jaw alignment is recorded. Artificial teeth are then placed in a wax base and the appliance is tried in to evaluate the fit and esthetics. Once we are satisfied with the fit and esthetics, they are sent to a laboratory to fabricate the final appliance. The new appliance is then adjusted over the next couple of weeks as needed to relieve pressure/sore spots that may arise. A well fitting upper denture should not require any denture adhesive. If you are a denture wearer and you require extensive adhesive to keep your dentures in place, then it may be time to make a new denture.
Immediate Dentures
An immediate denture is fabricated prior to extracting teeth and is inserted immediately after the teeth are extracted. The tissues are allowed to heal under the denture and you can leave the appointment with the denture in place. This gives the patient teeth immediately. As the tissues in your mouth heal and shrink, the denture will become loose and will no longer fit correctly. This is a normal occurrence after immediate dentures. The appliance will need to be relined possibly several times to maintain proper fit and function.
All dentures over a normal course of time will wear and need to be replaced or relined in order to keep the jaw alignment normal. The jaw alignment will slowly change as the bone and tissues shrink due to the extraction of the teeth. Even though a patient may not have any natural teeth left, regular dental examinations are still important for the denture wearer so that the oral tissues can be checked for disease or change.