Dentures are used as a replacement for missing teeth and are no longer made out of hippopotamus ivory, an acrylic resin being the most common modern material used in their production. Porcelain and metal can also be used in their construction.

There are a couple of different types of denture which your dentist can recommend to you, depending upon your situation. A full denture will give you a complete set of replacement teeth, while a partial set will replace only the missing ones, complementing them with the replacement teeth contained in your new denture.

Apart from the improved physical aspect a set of well craft and professionally fitted permanent dentures will help you eat in a more natural way, help with any problems which your dental issues have caused in your pronunciation and also strengthen the facial muscles which can sag when teeth are missing.

In order to get the perfectly fitted permanent dentures you are looking for the dental surgeon may need to extract any unhealthy or potentially troublesome teeth. Once this is done a wax mould of your bite will be taken, so that the dentist can work to the exact measurements of your mouth. You will probably need to return to the surgery to try at least one model out. This will allow the dentist to hone the denture to perfection.

While many people still look for less permanent solutions to their dental problems a good long term choice is to consider permanent dentures. As with other types of permanent dental implants they will last you a long time if you look after them well and will therefore remove once and for all your concerns about the condition of your teeth.

One of the big drawbacks for many people considering permanent dentures is the cost. It certainly isn’t a cheap option, although it is cheaper than getting implants fitted, and a fair number of patients opt to pay for it through some form of financing. When you consider the raised life expectancy which we can expert to enjoy nowadays, and the discomfort and lowered self confidence which poor teeth can cause it really needs to be looked on a long term investment and something which will improve your quality of life for the rest of your days

In order to help you make the right decision I have noted below a list of the top 5 reasons for getting this type of dental work carried, and hopefully this will allay your fears on few of the things which could be worrying you:

1. Improve your smile. Life and the wear and tear which modern habits cause to our teeth end up forcing a lot of people into the sad situation where they feel that they have to resort to a little half smile or, even worse, avoid smiling all together. Count the number of times you have avoided giving out a big, hearty laugh like you used to when you were proud of your teeth. If that isn’t enough to convince you that permanent dentures could improve your life we’ll move onto the second reason.
2. Eat better. Being forced to eat at an unnatural angle due to bad or missing teeth isn’t only bad for your digestion but it can also cause damage to your other teeth. A well fitted set of dentures will let you eat the way you used to. You can also forget about picking and choosing your food on the basis of things you can manage and things you can’t. Get back to chewing basics and enjoy your food again.
3. Avoid speech problems. You many not have any pronunciation problems just now, but time and teeth deterioration can have a bad effect on your ability to pronounce words the way you used to be able to do.
4. Permanent dentures are cheaper than dental implants. Your dentist will advise you of the relative cost of each of these treatments but it is safe to say that implants cost a lot more than the dentures would.
5. Get them tailor made. In the olden days dentures could be ill fitting and uncomfortable. This isn’t the case anymore, and you dentist will very carefully take you mouth measurements and call you in for at least one trial fitting before presenting you with your fantastic set of permanent dentures. These types of dental solution can also be made either for someone who needs a full set of replacement teeth or simply has a few gaps to fill.

Q. What are permanent dentures?

A. These are a popular dental solution which involves replacing damaged or missing teeth with a high quality replacement, usually made out of an acrylic resin.

Q. Will they never need to be taken out?

A. They may be called permanent but they still need to be taken out for a few hours in the evening. Your mouth needs to rest and your saliva needs to clean it out too. You should take this opportunity to clean them and look after them.

Q. Do they last forever?

A. No. You should expect a set of replacement dentures to last you up to 10 years if well looked after.

Q. What is the difference between dental implants permanent dentures?

A. Implants are individual replacement teeth. These last a lifetime and are generally a lot more expensive than dentures. There are various reasons for choosing one of these solutions over the other and having a chat with your dentist should help you decide the appropriate one in your case.

Q. Are they made to measure or ready made?

A. They will be made to fit perfectly in your mouth. Your dental surgeon will take very precise measurements of your bite and will make the denture around these measurements. They will call you into the dental surgery as often as is necessary for test fittings.

Q. Can they fall out when I laugh or sneeze?

A. No. That was in the old days, when ready made or poor quality dentures didn’t fit as well as they do nowadays. With modern dentures you can laugh with confidence and sneeze in earnest.

Q. What if I only need a few replacement teeth?

A. You can choose a partial denture, which only replaces the missing teeth.

Q. If I get a partial set will they not be a different color from my other teeth?

A. There is no reason for there to be any problems with color matching. Your dentist will be very careful about matching the color of your own teeth with the replacement ones. This is part of the reason why you will need to attend test fittings for your permanent dentures.

1. They are way too expensive to even consider. Permanent dentures don’t come cheap, but they are cheaper than some of the alternatives which are available. When you consider the high quality, resistant material which cutting edge dentures use, and the hours of careful craftsmanship which an experienced dental expert has to put into the job, it is no surprise that you have to pay a fairly high price for them. Other dental solutions, such as dental implants, are usually a lot more expensive. If you are struggling to afford the treatment you can ask at your local dental clinics what kind of financing plans they have in place.
2. They can fall out. This is a belief which is generated due to people’s memories of the types of badly fitted, off the shelf dentures which used to be so common. Modern technological advances mean that your replacement teeth will be made to measure and will fit perfectly into your mouth.
3. Only old people get them. Why would you think that? Just as young and middle aged people are not immune to cancer, heart problems and other illnesses neither are they free of the risk of dental problems. Anyone who needs dental treatment should seek it, regardless of their age. Many younger people prefer dental implants, as a more long term solution, but the prohibitive cost of this means that a complete of partial set of permanent dentures is an attractive alternative.
4. The dentist will take out your remaining teeth. This is not always the case, as the dental surgeon needs to assess in each case what teeth are damaged or likely to cause problems before fitting the dentures. If you only need a few replacement teeth you could look at a partial denture instead of a complete one.
5. Once they are in they won’t come out. Actually, permanent dentures still need to be removed at night time, to let your mouth rest and the saliva do its cleansing job. This is a good time to clean and get them ready for another day of smiling tomorrow.

We know how frustrating it can be to have dentures that just don’t work properly, and we hope that we can be there to help you in finding and selecting the proper permanent dentures option for you and your lifestyle.