Dentures

More examples

Enjoy comfortable, natural-looking dentures from The St Peter's Dental Practice!

Dentures are removable replacements for your missing teeth, designed to look like your own natural teeth and surrounding gum tissues. They are generally made from an ultramodern acrylic material which is high-strength and durable. If you look after the dentures then this material is unlikely to staining or darken and will remain fresh and natural looking for many years.

The fact that we provide comfortable, natural-looking dentures is a real benefit to those people who no longer possess their natural teeth but for whom socialising and showing a confident smile is very important.

Our modern knowledge and techniques will ensure that dentures from The St Peter's Dental Practice look great and feel comfortable, allowing patients to eat with confidence. We offer variety of dentures to suit most budgets and advances in denture technology mean that some foods that were off limits to denture wearers in the past, can now be eaten more easily.

If you have several missing teeth, possibly from some time ago, then you will benefit from having dentures as they will provide support for your cheeks and lips. When we design your dentures this way it can reduce the amount of lines and wrinkles around your face, this has the result of making a more youthful look and can literally take years off you. This can be achieved with a properly planned denture from The St Peter's Dental Practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What will dentures feel like?

New dentures may feel awkward for a few weeks until you become accustomed to them. The dentures may feel loose while the muscles of your cheeks and tongue learn to keep them in place. It is not unusual to experience minor irritation and soreness initially. You may find that saliva flow temporarily increases. These problems should diminish with wear and use.

Q. Will I be able to eat with my dentures?

Eating will take a little practice. Start with soft foods cut into small pieces. Chew slowly using both sides of your mouth at the same time to prevent the dentures tipping. As you become accustomed to chewing, add other foods until you return to your normal diet. Be cautious with hot food/drink and avoid very hard and sticky foods.

Q. Will dentures change how I speak?

Pronouncing certain words may require practice. Reading out aloud and repeating troublesome words will help. If your dentures "click" while you're talking, speak slowly. You may find that you dentures occasionally slip out slightly when you cough, laugh or smile. Reposition them by biting down and swallowing. Soon you will be able to cope very well with your new dentures.

Q. How do I take care of my dentures?

Dentures are very delicate and may break if dropped even only a few inches. Stand over a folded towel or basin of water when handling dentures for cleaning. Like natural teeth, dentures must be brushed daily to remove food deposits and plaque. A tooth/ denture brush with soft bristles can be used, as hard-bristles brushes can damage the dentures.

Some denture wearers use hand soap and mild dishwashing liquid to clean their dentures. More advanced denture creams and tables are widely available. Avoid using other household product cleaners, which may be too abrasive or even toxic.

Q. If my dentures stay loose can this be improved?

Denture retention can be improved using denture adhesive or implants. Mini or permanent implants can be placed and used to anchor your dentures. This is very safe and effective way to provide you with dentures which function much like your original teeth and do not move about or drop.

Denture maintenance:

Looking after your denture carefully, and cleaning them meticulously, will prolong their life, and ensure the continued health of your mouth and any remaining teeth or implants.

If you still have teeth present, mouth hygiene is even more important, so as to keep your teeth clean, as the prosthesis will encourage plaque accumulation. Otherwise the denture will promote disease - causing plaque and debris to accumulate and accelerate decay and gum disease. In the morning clean the denture thoroughly with a denture brush, using either soap or a denture paste that we have recommended. If you like a minty taste in your mouth in the morning use normal toothpaste on your denture, but try to limit this to once per day, as toothpastes are abrasive and may wear away the special stains that have been used on the denture to make it look natural.

When possible, clean your dentures after every meal. If you cannot get to your denture brush, then at least rinse the denture under fast running water to remove large deposits of food.

Before going to bed thoroughly brush the denture, and inspect it carefully under a good light to check that all debris and plaque has been removed. If you find that there is an occasional build up of tartar, an acid cleaner, such as Denclen, may be useful. However it should not be necessary to use this more than once a week, and this cleaner should not be used on dentures that have metal components. Overnight leave the dentures

soaking in clean water. It is not necessary to use a cleansing tablet such as Steradent. Research has shown that cleansers that contain bleach can make the denture look unnaturally light. When using a denture brush be especially careful of the delicate clasps that can be distorted or broken if the denture is handled roughly. When cleaning the denture, always hold it above a sink full of water or a towel, in case it is dropped.

Regular check-ups are very important, even if you have complete dentures. We will want to ensure that your mouth and any remaining teeth are healthy, and check that the fit of your denture is still correct. It is common to find that after some time the shape of the jaws will change, which may make your denture unstable. If this happens you will benefit from having the denture relined.

To arrange an appointment for a new denture which is life-like, comfortable and gives you confidence call us on 01843 860625.