Dentures
A denture replaces several teeth or a whole arch, and it is removable. Whether it is a good experience depends almost entirely on how well it is made and whether it has anything to hold onto.
Replaces several missing teeth and clasps onto the remaining ones. Lighter and cheaper than a bridge over a long span.
A complete arch. The upper grips the palate reasonably well; the lower sits on a narrow ridge and is the one people struggle with.
Clips onto two or more implants so it cannot lift. How it works.
An upper denture has a large palate to create suction. A lower one has a narrow horseshoe of bone, a tongue pushing against it from the inside and cheeks from the outside. No amount of skill in making it changes that geometry.
That is why two implants in the lower jaw transform a denture more than almost any other intervention in dentistry. If you are struggling with a lower denture, that is the conversation to have.
Questions
Speaking and eating feel strange for a few weeks. Reading aloud at home helps more than people expect. Sore spots in the first fortnight are normal and we adjust them — do not just endure it.
The ridge underneath keeps shrinking, so a denture that fitted well will loosen over the years. Relining can buy time; eventually a new one fits better.
Better not to. The tissue underneath needs time without pressure, and leaving them out overnight reduces sore spots and fungal infection.
More than you fear, less than with your own teeth. Start with soft food cut small, chew on both sides at once, and build up.
One tooth or a full arch, rooted in bone.
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A fixed replacement anchored to its neighbours.
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When a tooth genuinely cannot be kept.
Explore →When a tooth needs covering rather than filling.
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The appointment that prevents the other eight.
Explore →Gum disease caught, treated and kept in check.
Explore →Next step
The first appointment is an examination and a conversation. There is no obligation to book treatment at the end of it.