Dentures

Denture Options for Your Specific Needs

Tooth — Senior Woman Looking At Her New Dentures in Bangor, ME
Dentures are prosthetic devices designed by your dentist to replace missing teeth. At Stillwater Dental, we offer several types of denture options. All of the following dentures will be designed collaboratively with the patient in-office and then sent to a dental lab for completion.

Conventional Full Dentures

Conventional dentures are removable and designed to replace a full arch of missing teeth after the gum tissue has completely healed (usually about 6 months after tooth extraction or loss). In 4 office visits, about one week apart, the tooth shape, color, and placement will be chosen by you and your dentist so that the finished denture will simulate the appearance of your natural teeth and smile. Visits include taking impressions, bite registration, developing a “wax try-in” for adjustment and final approval, and the final delivery and placement of the denture once completed.

Conventional Partial Dentures

Partial dentures are also removable and created similarly to full dentures but are designed to replace only a segment of missing teeth. While full dentures are held in place through a vacuum created by the moisture in your mouth, partial dentures are held in place through attachments to adjacent natural teeth.

Immediate Dentures

In some cases, a patient may not wish to have teeth extracted and be without teeth during the 6 months of healing which follows the extraction process. For these patients, an immediate denture may be the best choice. These dentures are designed in one visit and then completed by a dental lab within approximately 2-3 weeks. We then set the patient up with an appointment either in our office or with a local oral surgeon for the teeth to be extracted and the denture to be immediately placed. In some cases, the back teeth may be extracted 6-8 weeks prior to the front teeth to allow for partial healing of the site prior to removal of the remaining teeth. Once inserted, the immediate denture acts as a protective barrier during the healing process and the patient does not have to be without teeth. Due to the shrinkage of tissue after the teeth are extracted, immediate denture patients will need to return after about 6 months to have their dentures relined to maintain proper fit and function.

Implant supported Dentures

One complaint often heard by those who wear dentures is that they experience slippage or loosening of their denture, sometimes causing problems with eating or talking. This is often due to the bone loss that happens once the tooth roots are no longer attached to the jaw bones. The bone tissue recedes, changing the fit of the denture. One advantage of implants is that the bone grows into the implant, thus helping the bone to retain its size and shape. And when a denture is supported by implants, it maintains both fit and stability which aids in talking and chewing.

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