Frequently Asked Questions About Dentures

Dentures are replacement teeth whenever you happen to damage a tooth, or your teeth become severely decayed. You may smile brightly and live your life normally once again without the issue of missing teeth. It’s helpful to understand the benefits and process.

General Information

Most sets of dentures are dental-grade plastic, acrylic resin. Acrylic dentures are strong and easy to adjust. Another option is porcelain, which tends to be a bit pricier but looks more natural and lasts longer.

You may decide between a partial and full. A partial replaces one or several teeth on either the upper or lower portion of your jaw. Keep in mind that you only need to have one tooth on either the top or bottom to have a partial.

A full set of new dentures consists of having the entire top, bottom, or all your teeth replaced.

Benefits of Dentures

For one, dentures ensure you can eat normally to prevent deficiencies.

Replacing missing teeth with dentures also boosts your confidence so you can smile normally again.

When you replace missing teeth with dentures, you won’t have gaps in your smile that can be prime locations for food to stick in between your teeth and cause bacteria to breed.

You may regain your ability to speak normally when you have dentures since your teeth play a vital role in the formation of words.

Dentures also help to maintain your facial shape. Without having teeth in your mouth, you may look older than you are.

Compared to implants, dentures are a more cost-efficient tooth replacement option.

Process of Getting New Dentures

Getting dentures is a multi-step process. As a general rule, the entire process consists of four or five appointments spread out over a few months. This varies from patient to patient, though. Some individuals require more visits if they have more serious dental problems or heal quicker than others.

Denture Consultation

The first step is to visit your dentist for a consultation. At this appointment, our family dentistry expert will explain your options and help you compare. Our dentist will evaluate your gum tissue to ensure it’s healthy enough to support dentures. During this time, our dentist will discuss if you need any grafting or other procedures first.

Our practitioner will also discuss the options of having your dentures fixed or removable.

Additionally, this is a prime time to discuss any questions you may have, and it’s also when your practitioner will give you a timeline of what you can expect.

X-rays are typically done at this visit or your next one.

General Dental Tooth Removal

The first step in the process is to have any teeth that are severely damaged or rotten removed. Your dentist will use a pair of forceps and possibly a dental elevator to extract the tooth or teeth. Sometimes, the practitioner will remove the teeth in sections.

Once all the teeth are removed, you’ll need to wait about six to eight weeks if you’re getting standard dentures. However, there is the option of immediate dentures, which can be placed immediately after the extraction.

New Denture Fitting Process

Once your mouth has completely healed after the extraction, our dentist will fit you for the dentures. This process consists of taking measurements and molds of your teeth.

Creating Your New Dentures

The next step of the process is crafting your dentures. We’ll take into consideration your personal preferences when we have them made.

Trial Process

Before you leave our office with your new dentures, we’ll ask that you try them on. Keep in mind that they may feel awkward at first, but you’ll get used to wearing them. We’ll make any necessary adjustments at this point. We also encourage you to let us know if you’re still having difficulty during the first few weeks due to sizing issues. Schedule a consultation with us to get started. Our North Lafayette Louisiana dentist offers patients the option of dentures. There are many reasons to choose them and, overall, the process is relatively straightforward.