Complete, immediate, or partial dentures? There are many ways to get back your million-dollar smile. We’re here to help you learn the difference between them so you can find your denture match. For starters, there are two types of dentures: temporary (also referred to as immediate dentures) and permanent. You’ll usually get immediate dentures after tooth extraction, whereas permanent dentures can be full or partial and are made for the long haul. Need a guide to the different types of dentures? That’s what we’re here for.

You’ve spent most of your existence biting through life, so why stop now? Complete dentures are here to the rescue, ready to stand in where your natural teeth once did the job (and kudos to your teeth – they did well). But now that your natural teeth have retired it’s time for the complete denture to take over. So what are complete dentures, and how can they make you more confident?

What Are Complete Dentures?

A complete denture, also known as a full denture, takes up the whole mouth rather than just a part of it. It’s a removable device that can be used to replace missing teeth and is used by someone who has lost all of their teeth. Complete dentures are usually made from acrylic.

Advantages of Wearing Dentures: How Full Dentures Can Make You Confident

So why complete dentures? They don’t just improve the look of your mouth (most dentures are highly realistic, so it looks like you have all your teeth) but dentures can also make you feel more confident. Not just because you look good, but dentures can help you eat and speak the way you did with your natural teeth, so you can get on with life just like before.

Parts of Complete Dentures

There are two parts of a complete denture:

  • Artificial teeth
    These function like regular teeth, and help you chew and bite food as you did before tooth extraction. They also restore the appearance of natural teeth.
  • Denture base
    This part of the denture acts as a foundation for artificial teeth and also restores the defective soft and hard tissues.

However, since your mouth is slightly different on the upper and lower parts of your jaw, your denture will also be somewhat different.

  • Full upper denture
    This part of the denture is called the maxillary arch and features a plate covering the roof of the mouth.
  • Full lower denture
    This section is the mandibular arch and is a horseshoe-shaped denture that rests on the gum and bone tissues.

Complete dentures are great, they make your life so much easier and more enjoyable, from smiling with confidence to biting into your favorite foods. However, since complete dentures are removable, you might need something to keep them in place. That’s where Fixodent can help: our denture adhesives keep your full dentures in place so you won’t have to worry about your dentures falling out of place while you’re out at dinner.

Have you ever wondered how dentures are made? We’re here to tell you. Dentures help make your life so much easier after tooth extraction, and the right dentures mean you can munch on a corn on the cob or laugh at your favorite funny movie with confidence. The secret to a good denture is that they are made to measure, whether you need a partial denture, a full denture, or even an immediate denture. Read on to learn how the magic happens.

How are Dentures Made? & What are Dentures Made of?

You can think of your dentures as being made of two parts: the base of the denture and the teeth.

The base of the denture is made from a carefully pigmented acrylic called polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). This pigmented acrylic mimics the look and color of your natural gum tissue.

The denture teeth can be made from different materials, like acrylic or porcelain, the latter being much rarer, and just as with the gum-toned base, they are designed to resemble your real teeth as much as possible.

All About the Denture Making Process

Each denture is tailor-made for your mouth, meaning your dentist will take impressions to make a model for a perfect fit. Usually, a set of dentures is made as follows:

  • Step 1: Your dentist will make a model
    Using the denture impressions of your jaw and mouth, your dentist will create models, usually from wax or plastic, based on the impression. You will try the model several times to check for fit, shape, and even color before the denture is made.
  • Step 2: The model is placed in an articulator
    The technician will use a mechanical device used to represent the jaw known as an articulator to attach the teeth with wax.
  • Step 3: The technician carves the wax
    Using the wax model, the technician shapes and carves the wax, so it looks like your gums. This wax base will be used for your finished dentures.
  • Step 4: Set dentures in a flask
    The technician places the dentures in a flask, which is a holding device into which more plaster is poured, so the shape of the dentures can be maintained. The flask is then placed in hot water and the wax is melted off.
  • Step 5: Inject acrylic into the plaster mold
    Once the wax has been removed, the technician adds a liquid separator onto the plaster layer. This separator stops the acrylic from sticking to it, and the acrylic is then injected into the flask to replace the wax.
  • Step 6: The plaster is removed
    The technician carefully removes the plaster mold using special lab tools and places the acrylic dentures in an ultrasonic bath to remove any remaining plaster.
  • Step 7: The technician trims and polishes the denture
    Any excess acrylic from the dentures will be cut from the denture. After trimming, the technician will use pumice to polish it.
  • Step 8: Dentures are ready
    Now the dentures are ready, your dentist will call you in for your initial fitting.

Digital Dentures: The Next Generation of Dentures

The digital realm has got its teeth into the denture-making process, as technological advancements in digital dentistry could make life easier for you and your dentist. Although you will still need a traditional dental impression, a 3D scanner can then scan this in. Using this digital scan, the software will create the ideal denture using this data and information given by the clinician. Then, using this digital model, your dentist can then make a set of dentures made from solid, perfectly cured hard resin. These dentures don’t just last longer as the material is more durable, but they should also fit better. Another benefit is you can get digital dentures in two to three appointments, and you will need fewer or even no adjustments, so you can spend less time at the dentist. However, some denture-making labs still prefer doing things manually, as they have developed their denture-making skills and expertise for decades, so not everyone will offer digital dentures.

This is how your dentures are made, but that’s not the end of the story. Your dentist may need to fit and adjust your dentures, so they feel comfortable for you and won’t leave any sores behind. Your jaw and gums will shrink after tooth extraction, which means you may need your dentures adjusted in the first few months. But once everything fits, you can go back to enjoying your life and eating all your favorite foods with confidence.