Enhancing Your Smile With Dentures
At Brown and Baran Family Dentistry, Dr. Paul Brown and Dr. Christopher Baran offer dentures as an affordable restorative treatment to restore proper occlusion and functionality to patients in Wilmington and Seaford, DE, locations who are missing some or all of their teeth. We offer a range of denture options to meet the needs and budgets of our patients.
What Are Dentures?
Dentures are custom-made prosthetic devices that replace missing teeth and restore dental function and aesthetics. They’re an ideal solution for patients who have lost some or all of their teeth due to injury, decay, or disease and are looking to restore their ability to chew, speak, and smile with confidence.
Dentures are available in different types and styles. They’re made from durable, lifelike materials such as acrylic resin, porcelain, or a combination of materials, and can be crafted to match the color and shape of your natural teeth.
Benefits of Dentures
Dentures can offer numerous benefits to patients who are missing teeth. Some of the key benefits include:
- Improved Appearance: Dentures can fill in gaps left by missing teeth and prevent facial muscles from sagging, giving patients a more youthful appearance.
- Restored Function: Dentures can restore a patient’s ability to eat and speak normally, improving their quality of life.
- Prevent Bone Loss: Implant-supported dentures can help to fortify the jawbone and prevent bone recession by stimulating jaw tissue.
- Customization: Denture solutions can be custom-made to fit comfortably in a patient’s mouth and blend naturally with their smile.
- Affordable: Traditional dentures are often more affordable than other tooth replacement options.
Ideal Candidates for Dentures
Patients missing some or all of their teeth and wishing to restore dental function and rejuvenate their appearance are good candidates for dentures. Patients interested in implant-supported dentures may require additional treatments, including tooth extraction or bone grafting to become eligible for dental implants.
Certain diseases or medications may also affect candidacy for implants. Although not all patients are candidates for implant-supported dentures, most patients qualify for traditional dentures. During your initial consultation, our skilled dentists can help determine which denture option is best for you.
Types of Dentures
Traditional Dentures
Traditional dentures are removable prosthetics custom-made to fit comfortably in your mouth and blend naturally with your smile. Both full and partial dentures can restore your ability to eat and speak normally and improve your appearance by preventing facial muscles from sagging.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are appropriate for patients who still have some remaining healthy teeth, while full dentures are appropriate for patients who are missing all their teeth or who will be undergoing a full-mouth extraction. If you’re having any teeth removed before receiving a traditional denture, your prosthetic can be placed once the gums have fully healed.
Implant-Supported Dentures
Our dentists highly recommend implant-supported dentures because they help to fortify the jawbone and prevent bone recession by stimulating jaw tissue. The implant procedure begins with the placement of four to six titanium posts in your upper or lower jaw through small incisions in the gums. After the posts are placed, a process called osseointegration occurs over three to six months. During this period, the implant posts fuse with your jawbone.
Once the healing process is complete, the abutments that will hold your final restoration in place are affixed to the implants. Your custom-made, permanent dentures can then be attached.
Immediate Dentures & Same Day Teeth®
We offer patients the option of immediate dentures, as well as Same Day Teeth®. Immediate dentures are placed immediately following tooth extraction. This allows patients to eat and speak normally much more quickly than they would if they had to wait until their gums healed to receive their prosthetic. It’s important to understand that as the gums heal, the structure of the mouth may change, requiring new dentures.
The Same Day Teeth® technique allows us to place your dental implants and permanent restoration on the same day and doesn’t require the three to six-month waiting period of traditional implant-supported dentures.
Dentures Care & Maintenance
- Traditional and immediate dentures require regular removal and cleaning by brushing and soaking in a denture cleansing solution.
- Patients with implant-supported dentures, such as Same Day Teeth®, can brush and floss normally as the restorations are permanently attached to the implants.
Regular dental exams and cleanings are crucial for maintaining oral health and making necessary adjustments to dentures for optimal comfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
It may take a few weeks to a few months to adjust to wearing dentures. At first, you may experience some discomfort, irritation, or soreness in your gums or mouth. It’s important to follow your dentist’s instructions on how to care for your dentures and how long to wear them each day. With time, your mouth will adjust to the dentures, and they should feel more comfortable.
It may take some practice to adjust to eating and speaking with dentures. You may need to start with soft foods and gradually move on to harder foods as you become more comfortable. It’s also important to practice speaking with your dentures in place to help improve your speech. Your dentist can provide you with guidance on how to adjust to wearing dentures and how to improve your ability to eat and speak.
With proper care, dentures can last for several years. However, over time, the fit of your dentures may change as your mouth and gums change. It’s important to have your dentures checked regularly by your dentist to ensure they still fit properly and make any necessary adjustments or replacements.
While it’s possible to sleep with your dentures in, it’s generally not recommended. Removing your dentures at night allows your gums and mouth to rest and can help prevent irritation or infection. Additionally, removing your dentures at night allows you to clean and properly care for them. Your dentist can provide you with guidance on when it’s appropriate to wear your dentures and when they should be removed.
Don’t Live With Missing Teeth. Schedule Your Visit Today!
If you’re missing some or all of your teeth and are interested in dentures, contact Brown and Baran Family Dentistry today to schedule a consultation with one of our skilled dentists. For more information about dentures options, contact our Wilmington, DE office at (302) 999-7600 or our Seaford, DE office at (302) 536-7589.
You can also fill out our convenient contact form. We proudly serve new and returning patients throughout Delaware and its surrounding areas. We look forward to caring for your smile.
