Full Dentures

This is a denture that replaces all the teeth. This can be either on the upper or lower jaw.

A full upper dentures rely on a close fitting seal between the gums, cheeks and lips to create adhesion or “suction”, this is the key to producing comfortable, well fitting top dentures. This all starts with an accurate impression of the mouth and then care and skill from the prosthetist.

Lower dentures require the correct 3D shape so that the plate will comfortably on the lower ridge in the “neutral zone”, a space between the cheeks, gums and lips.

The Prosthetist, with patient input, will select colour and tooth shape then set the teeth position for correct lip support and “smile line”. At this stage the teeth are set in wax and tried in the patient’s mouth to confirm correct fit, function and aesthetics. Sometimes we may re-try the dentures after some “fine tuning” to create a more pleasing appearance. Finally, with everybody satisfied, the dentures are processed and fitted in the patients mouth.

A partial denture is any denture which fits around existing teeth. There are three options:

  1. acrylic with or without clasps

  2. A metal frame with acrylic teeth and acrylic gum attached

  3. A flexible denture. Suitable when missing one or two teeth only

Most of the time a metal frame is used because it can be made smaller and it is a lot stronger. Metal partials are less prone to breakage. Implant retained denture: Most commonly, this is a full denture which is retained by implants. Implants are titanium screw like fixtures that are inserted into the jaw bone. The denture has "press stud" like attachments that click on and off the implants. The denture is removable, which is preferable, because it allows for easy cleaning.

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