Full & Partial Dentures

Rediscover your smile

Dentures are an option for replacing missing teeth. They can either be a complete denture which replaces all the missing teeth in one (or both) jaws, or that can be a partial denture designed to fill in gaps.

Complete dentures rely on good bony support and an accurate fit to retain them in place. This means they generally work well replacing teeth in the upper jaw where the roof of the mouth is used to provide support and suction to add retention. There is a lot less surface area available to provide support and retention in the lower jaw which can make dentures in this area potentially more problematic. When making a complete denture it is possible to arrange this before all the teeth are removed. This means we can then extract the teeth and place the denture on the same day. You then won’t have to go without teeth! In this situation we can also design the denture to match the shape and size of your natural teeth while taking the opportunity to give you the smile you want.

Partial dentures

Denture can come in a variety of forms and materials, although there are three main options. These include dentures with a rigid plastic base which are designed to be mostly supported by the gums, partial dentures may also be constructed with a metal base and designed to clip securely to adjacent natural teeth, or they may be constructed of a slightly flexible plastic base (e.g. Valplast), although this last type is only suitable for one or two teeth. The right type for you will depend on the number and location of the missing teeth, how much bony support is available and the condition of the remaining natural teeth. Partial dentures can also be constructed prior to teeth being removed and fitted straight after the extractions.

The process we go through for constructing a denture is done in combination with a dental laboratory that does a lot of work behind the scenes. We only work with local New Zealand dental labs that meet our exacting standards for high quality materials and workmanship. We also make sure we take the time during the process to fine tune the denture and teeth to get a result that you and we are both proud of.

Denture Process

Please note that dentures are made to be a precise fit over your gums. However, sometimes the dentures will be too tight around certain areas of the gums or there will some nodules in the acrylic that irritate the gums. These can create ulcers if left unattended. We will always review a denture once fitted to make sure there are no ulcers or any irritation.

However, if this occurs before our review appointment we would be happy to see you sooner, otherwise leave the new denture out until a day before seeing us. It is important that you wear the denture for at least 24 hours before visiting us so that we can identify where the irritation is and remove it.

Sometimes, new dentures may also be somewhat loose in first few days. That is normal. Dentures usually take about 3-4 days to reach their maximal retention capacity. So don’t be alarmed. Any other denture problems will be dealt with at your review appointment (which is usually a week after the delivery of your new denture).