In the event that you've lost all of your natural teeth, whether from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury, complete dentures can replace your missing teeth and your smile. Replacing missing teeth can definitely benefit your health and your appearance. Without support from the full denture, facial muscles around the mouth sag, making a person look older. You'll be able to eat and speak—simple things that people often take for granted until their natural teeth are lost.

There are different types of complete dentures. A typical full denture is custom made and placed in the patient's mouth after the remaining teeth are extracted and oral tissues have healed which can take several months. An immediate complete denture is placed as soon as the remaining teeth are removed. The dentist and staff at Distinctive Dentistry take measurements and makes models of the patient's jaws during the preliminary visit. With immediate dentures, the wearer does not have to be without teeth during the healing stage.

Even if you wear full dentures, you must still take proper care of your mouth. Brush your gums, tongue and palate every morning with a soft-bristled brush before you put in your dentures to stimulate circulation in the oral tissues and help eliminate plaque.

Your doctors and staff at Distinctive Dentistry can advise and assist you in getting the very best dentures for your specific needs. Distinctive Dentistry offers Sedation Dentistry services for your comfort.

Conventional Dentures and Immediate Dentures

Complete dentures are called "conventional" or "immediate" according to when they are created and when they are inserted into the mouth.

Immediate dentures are inserted at once after the removal of the remaining teeth. To make this possible, the dentist takes measurements and makes the models of the patient's jaws during a preliminary visit.

The benefit of immediate dentures is that the patient does not have to be without teeth during the healing period. However, bones and gums can contract over time, especially during the period of healing in the first six months after the removal of teeth. When gums minimize, immediate dentures may require rebasing or relining to fit correctly. A conventional denture can then be made once the tissues have healed. Healing may take at least 6-8 weeks.