Dentures

How Dentures Can Help

Without every tooth, daily activities like eating a meal or even speaking with friends can prove difficult. It can feel isolating and over time, can negatively impact the health of your smile. Our dentists don’t want you to suffer in silence. One of the ways we can help is with beautifully crafted dentures that accurately reflect your personality.

Dentures come in a few different forms but all work in a similar fashion. They are removable so you can put them in for the day and take them out at night when sleeping. If you have full dentures, a flesh-colored base will fit over your gums. The upper portion will cover the palate, or roof of the mouth, while the lower denture will accommodate your tongue by being horseshoe shaped.

Each type can take some getting used to, but dentures will become easier with practice. Our dentists can give you some at-home tips for overcoming initial awkwardness and other common issues like excessive saliva or minor soreness. Soon enough you’ll be back to eating, talking, and smiling with confidence.

What Can I Expect?

The first step in the dentures procedure involves taking a set of impressions. With these impressions, we gather all the information needed to create your custom-made dentures. Though they might seem simple, they’ll reflect the upper and lower ridges of your jaw, as well as the positioning of your cheeks, tongue, and lips.

It’s not uncommon for the impression stage to be a two-step process. For an accurate result, we may use a model made from the first impression to create a custom tray that will then be used for the final impression. We’ll also need to develop your bite.

Limited or no teeth will make developing the bite tricky as there will be no natural biting position. To help with this, we’ll use two wax bite blocks to record and factor in:

• How you close your jaws together
• The amount of lip support
• The eventual position of the teeth
• The height of your dentures

Finally, the teeth themselves, including their shade, shape, and size are determined. Please note that for implant-supported dentures, you will need to undergo the dental implant procedure separately and allow time for your mouth to heal.

Once your dentures are ready, you’ll try them on to ensure everything fits correctly. Our dentists may ask you to come in for more than one try-in appointment to get the fit just right. The final fitting and discussion about after-care can then take place.

We Can Create the Smile You Deserve

Tired of the embarrassment and inconveniences that missing teeth bring? Our dentists in Cadillac, MI, can custom-fit you for full or partial dentures and put you back on the path of good oral health. If you’re ready to replace missing or extracted teeth, call LifeSmiles Dentistry at (231) 775-8281 to request an appointment today.