Skip to content

Dentures in Parramatta, Sydney

DENTURES

What a Denture Is

A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and the gum tissue around them. It rests on the ridge of gum and bone left behind after teeth are lost, and it comes out for cleaning.

Dentures remain the most direct way to replace several teeth at once. They need no surgery, they can be made whatever the state of the bone underneath, and a full set can be built for a mouth that has nothing left to build on. What they ask in return is an adjustment period and a maintenance habit, both of which are easier when you know about them in advance.

Full and Partial Dentures

A full denture replaces every tooth in an arch. The upper one covers the palate, and the suction that forms across that surface is a large part of what holds it in. A lower full denture has no palate to grip, sits on a horseshoe of gum, and has to work around the tongue, so it is the harder of the two to settle into.

A partial denture fills the gaps in an arch that still has natural teeth. It is held by clasps or precision rests on the remaining teeth, which makes it more stable than a full denture. Those teeth then carry extra load, so keeping them and their gums healthy matters more than it did before.

Partials are made in two main materials:

  • Acrylic. Lighter on cost, thicker in the mouth, and straightforward to add another tooth to if you lose one later. Often used as an interim denture while a mouth settles.
  • Cobalt chrome. A cast metal framework, thinner and stronger, with better heat transfer so food tastes closer to normal. It costs more and takes longer to make.

Implant Retained Dentures

The common complaint about a lower full denture is movement. An implant retained denture answers that by clipping onto a small number of dental implants placed in the jaw. The denture still comes out for cleaning, but it no longer lifts while you eat or speak.

Two implants are often enough to hold a lower denture. Four or more can support a fixed arch that stays in the mouth full time. Because implants also load the bone, they slow the ridge shrinkage that happens under a conventional denture. Options for this are set out on our affordable smiles on implants page, and where the ridge has already thinned, bone grafting may be needed before implants can be placed.

How a Denture Is Made

A denture is built over several short visits rather than one long one, because each stage has to be checked before the next is worth doing:

  1. Assessment. The ridges, the remaining teeth and the way the jaws meet are examined, and any teeth that cannot be saved are planned for.
  2. First impressions. A mould of each arch is taken, and a custom tray is made from it so the second impression can record the ridge accurately.
  3. Bite registration. Wax rims establish how far apart the jaws should sit and where the teeth should be, which sets both the chewing and the shape of the lips and cheeks.
  4. Try-in. The teeth are set in wax so you can see the shade, the shape and the smile line before anything is finished. Changes at this stage are easy. After processing they are not.
  5. Fit. The finished denture is inserted, the bite is checked and the pressure spots are relieved.
  6. Review and adjustment. A few short visits over the following weeks to ease any sore areas. This is a normal part of the process, not a sign that something went wrong.

An immediate denture is a variation, made in advance and fitted on the day the teeth come out so you are not without teeth while the gums heal. Because the ridge changes shape as it heals, an immediate denture needs a reline, or replacement, once healing is complete.

Living With a New Denture

The first fortnight is the hardest part, and knowing what is normal makes it shorter:

  • Eating. Start with soft food cut small, chew on both sides at once, and add harder textures over a few weeks. Chewing on one side tips a denture.
  • Speech. S and F sounds are the ones that change. Reading aloud for ten minutes a day retrains the tongue faster than waiting does.
  • Saliva. A new denture usually increases saliva for a few days. It settles.
  • Sore spots. Expect one or two. They are adjusted in minutes, so do not file the denture yourself and do not push through a spot that is breaking the skin.
  • Cleaning. Brush the denture over a folded towel or a basin of water with a denture brush and mild soap, not regular toothpaste, which is abrasive enough to scratch acrylic. Clean the gums, tongue and any remaining teeth separately.
  • Overnight. Leave the denture out and store it in water. Gum tissue that is covered around the clock is more likely to develop soreness and fungal infection.

Relines, Repairs and Replacement

The denture stays the same shape. The mouth underneath it does not. Bone resorbs slowly after teeth are removed, fastest in the first year, and a denture that fit perfectly will loosen as the ridge flattens.

  • A reline adds material to the fitting surface so it matches the changed ridge. It is the usual fix for a denture that has become loose but is otherwise sound.
  • A repair handles a crack, a fracture or a lost tooth. Superglue is not a repair. It contaminates the acrylic and often turns a simple fix into a remake.
  • Replacement is typically needed somewhere between five and ten years, sooner if the teeth have worn flat or the fit can no longer be corrected by relining.

Worn denture teeth are easy to miss because the change is gradual. Flattened teeth chew badly and let the jaws close further than they should, which strains the joint and deepens the lines around the mouth.

Common Questions

How long does it take to get used to dentures?

Most people manage normal speech within two to four weeks and normal eating within a couple of months. A lower full denture usually takes longer than an upper one, because it has less surface area holding it in place.

Do I need denture adhesive?

A well fitting denture should not need it. Adhesive is reasonable for extra confidence, but if you have come to depend on it the denture probably needs relining rather than more paste.

Can I sleep with my dentures in?

It is better not to. Leaving them out overnight gives the gum tissue a rest and lowers the risk of denture stomatitis, a fungal inflammation of the covered tissue.

Will a denture change my face?

It supports the lips and cheeks, so a well made denture often restores facial height that was lost when the teeth went. That support is set at the bite registration and try-in stages, which is why those visits are worth the time.

Dentures or implants?

Dentures cost less, need no surgery and can be made for almost any mouth. Implants feel closer to natural teeth, do not move, and slow bone loss, but they cost more and require enough bone to hold them. An implant retained denture sits between the two.

Do I still need dental check-ups with a full denture?

Yes. The examination shifts from teeth to tissue, checking the fit, the bite, the health of the ridge and the soft tissues, including a screening of the cheeks, tongue and palate.

Dentures Near You

Our Parramatta clinic sees patients from across Western Sydney, including North Parramatta, Westmead, Harris Park, Mays Hill, Granville, Rosehill, Rydalmere, Oatlands, Northmead, Merrylands, Auburn, Dundas, Ermington, Guildford, Toongabbie and Pendle Hill.

You might also like: Dental Implants   Affordable Smiles on Implants   Dental Crowns and Bridges   Complete Dentistry   Payment Options