Dentures in Manhattan, NYC

Dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth on the lower jaw, upper jaw or both. They enable their users to perform the functions such that they would have carried out with their regular teeth and help maintain the original shape of the individual’s face.

There are two main types of dentures: complete and partial.

Partial dentures only fill the spaces where there are no teeth, allowing for the remaining natural teeth to stay. These consist of synthetic replacement teeth, which are attached to plastic, gum-colored bases and connected by metal framework. Partial dentures attach to the remaining natural teeth with metal clasps or precision attachments. Precision attachments, which are generally more costly, are hardly visible.

Complete dentures, however, replace all of the teeth, therefore they require for the mouth to have no teeth remaining. These can be installed immediately after the removal of the remaining teeth or after a healing period of about 6 to 8 weeks. If the patient wants to have the dentures installed right away, measurements of the patient’s jaws are taken during the initial appointment.

The benefit of “immediate” dentures is that the patient has the use of their teeth right away. However, the gums and bones will shrink over time, especially during the healing process; therefore an adjustment of the dentures will be necessary later on. Conventional dentures, on the other hand, are made after the tissues have healed which means that the patient will be without teeth during the healing period. Nonetheless, this means that there will most likely not be an adjustment needed later.

The manufacturing and installment of dentures takes approximately a month followed by minor adjustments that may be necessary. During the first few weeks after the procedure, it is sometimes recommended that you wear your denture constantly. Although this can be an uncomfortable experience, it is the best and quickest way to determine if any adjustments need to be made. Soft foods are recommended along with chewing on both sides in order to best measure the level of comfort while wearing dentures.

Although your dentist will thoroughly explain the cleaning process of your dentures, here are a few things you should know. While dentures do replace your teeth in functionality, cleaning them is quite different. For instance, instead of a toothbrush, it is recommended that you use a denture brush as hard bristles can damage the denture. It is also important to remember that your mouth still needs to be cleansed daily. Soft-bristled brushes can be used to cleanse the gums and the tongue thoroughly.