Dentures

Dentures are made using a variety of biocompatible materials that have the ability to be moulded to a shape that confirms to the foundation of gums—and teeth in case of partial dentures—in your mouth. These materials can range from advanced resins to purpose-created metal alloys. From flexible to rigid, different situations warrant the use of materials appropriate to the conditions in your mouth.

A variety of measurements are taken to precisely register your jaws and bite using super-accurate recording materials. Your dentist at Genix then closely collaborates with the dental lab to create a set of dentures that best suits your jaws and face. Plenty of trials allow you to express your preferences in terms of the appearance and comfort.

The end-result is a cosmetic and optimally-functioning dental replacement that makes you smile every time you put it on.

Acrylic dentures

Chances are, what you imagine when you think about ‘dentures’ are ones that are made from acrylic. Time-tested and often repairable, the vast majority of dentures in clinical use are acrylic dentures thanks to the balance they are able to strike between strength, aesthetics and affordability. Your Genix dentist collaborates closely with Genix’s highly-skilled lab partners to deliver acrylic dentures made from advanced and high-quality materials.

Chrome dentures

Chrome dentures are a type of partial denture with a metal framework supporting acrylic gums and teeth, and hence are referred to scientifically as ‘cast-partial dentures’. Strong even when thin due to the strength of the metal, these dentures can be incredibly lightweight. The strength of the metal can sometimes permit covering less of the gums and palate, thus maintaining your taste and smell of food. Because metals conduct heat, you always retain the sensation of how hot or cold your food is. They are also less likely to transfer bite forces on the remaining teeth, and as a result, may be recommended by your Genix dentist for partial dentures.

Flexible dentures

Partial denture patients who are looking to avoid the appearance of metal in their mouth now have the option to choose flexible dentures—called so in a nod to their bendability. They are made up of thermoplastic materials like nylon, and offer aesthetically pleasing appearance. Bear in mind that they may not be suitable in all patients, especially if the teeth that support them have lost support. Your Genix dentist will evaluate and let you know if these will work in your mouth.

Overdentures

Using strategically located sound and firm teeth, overdentures enhance the functionality of your acrylic or chrome dentures. This not only enhances the support and retention of your dentures, but also preserve the sense of proprioception—the sense that lets you feel the texture of the food you bite into, protecting your tissues from overly hard food or coarse food particles. In addition, overdentures also help maintain bone around the teeth that they rest on.

Immediate dentures

Transitioning to dentures can be challenging, especially if you wish to stay socially active even while the treatment is ongoing. Immediate dentures—sometimes called temporary dentures—at Genix are a treatment that is designed to allow our patients to get their new teeth on the same day on which they get their teeth extracted. This requires prior planning and preparation, and the dentures need to be refreshed from inside from time-to-time in order to maintain a good fit on the changing foundation as the gums heal under them. These almost always need rebasing/replacing once the gum denture foundation has become firm.

The process of making dentures has been honed to perfection over the last few decades, with refinements and tweaks that incorporate technological and material advances. Your Genix dentist will begin this process with one simple imperative: to preserve what is salvageable. The specific treatment choice you make is usually arrived at in collaboration with your dentist, and is the denture type that is best able to meet your treatment objectives in the long run with minimal intervention.

Making precise dentures takes careful construction, and usually involves the following broad steps:

Appointment 1
Assessment of the health of the remaining teeth if any, and the health of your gum denture foundation if there are no teeth left

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Discussion of your treatment goals

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Taking x-rays and making jaw models if necessary

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Restoring the remaining teeth to health, and bolstering the gum denture foundation if necessary

Appointment 2 to 6
Various jaw impressions that record your gum denture foundation precisely

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Jaw articulation records that capture the way your lower jaw works with your upper jaw

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Trial(s) of the denture if necessary

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Denture delivery!

Dentures are new devices that you are not accustomed to, and like any new appliance that you start using for the first time, there is a ‘breaking-in’ period in which you may need to visit your dentist for easing your dentures in. We understand this, and your Genix dentist will be happy to schedule regular reviews to make sure you are on the right track with getting used to your new dentition.

• Your dentures need to be cleaned on a regular basis using specific denture-cleansing formulations and brushes. This ensures they stay hygienic and keep feeling fresh. Clean dentures are essential in order to avoid fungal infections in your mouth.
• If you are a partial denture wearer, special attention needs to be paid to keeping the teeth that remain clean and plaque-free. These are more prone to accumulation of debris, and as a result can develop cavities and gum disease.
• Just like your natural teeth, the strength of your denture teeth needs to be considered before you bite into your food to avoid the risk of denture cracks and fractures.
• Storing your dentures appropriately when you are not using them is critical for their longevity and stability.

Loss of even a single tooth can cause significant degradation in the overall integrity of your dentition over time. The neighbouring teeth may shift, leading to creation of spaces—sometimes in teeth far from the site of tooth loss. Teeth in the opposite jaw may erupt above the rest of the teeth, which can complicate replacement at a later date.

Apart from these local effects, missing teeth can have an impact on your smile and your facial appearance, which affects the ease with which you interact socially. In addition, loss of teeth can reduce how well you can chew your food, which may compromise nutrition and your overall well-being in the long run. All these issues can reduce your oral-health-related quality-of-life.

To summarise, regardless of how many teeth are missing from your mouth, you should consider getting dentures at your local Genix Practice to bring about the following significant improvements:

• Managing an ageing smile due to loss of teeth
• Correcting age changes in the face because of loss of teeth
• Enhancing the chewing efficiency that is reduced due to missing teeth, including the avoidance of certain foods from the diet
• Restoring the lost confidence to socialise due to a lack of satisfaction with your smile

A well-fitting and aesthetically pleasing denture can make a massive difference to your day-to-day life, thanks to the positive impact it has on your oral-health-related quality-of-life. This improvement in your overall well-being is a result of numerous advantages that a denture-wearer experiences:

• Increased opportunities for social participation and communication through removal of the stigma of missing teeth
• Enabling continued contribution to the society regardless of age, thus truly realising the full potential of all phases of life by staying active throughout
• Restoration of dietary variety because of the renewed ability to chew essential nutritious foods
• Maintenance of the structure of the face for a more youthful appearance
• Preservation of the integrity of your dentition by preventing unwanted tooth migration
• Easy maintenance of hygiene thanks to the removable nature of dentures

• If you have been missing teeth since a while and the adjacent teeth have moved, some additional steps may be necessary before a partial denture can be constructed for you.
• Getting used to wearing dentures can take a while, just like adjusting to a new pair of reading glasses. Practising with patience and regular follow-ups with your dentist are key to making this process easier for yourself.
• Your gums are the foundation on which your dentures rest, and your gums will keep remodelling naturally over time. This means your dentures will need to be refreshed if their fit is affected beyond a certain degree.
• Just like the tyres of your car wear down with use, your dentures do as well, and will need to be replaced if the wear is significant.
• If your gums are sore under your denture, a quick visit to see your dentist at Genix to ease the denture should not be delayed.
• In some situations, you may benefit significantly if additional support is obtained through the use of existing teeth, or with the placement of implants at strategic locations. You can read more about teeth-supported overdentures and implant-supported overdentures on our website.

Good oral health is a vital component of active ageing. With the accurate dentures on offer at the Genix Practice near you, you no longer need to let missing teeth be a barrier from participating in life fully! Please get in touch with us to know more.