Dentures

Dentist in Harrisburg

Dentures are custom-crafted to fit your mouth and your specific tooth replacement needs. They provide a cosmetic and functional replacement solution for tooth loss. To make your dentures, we will make a series of impressions of your jaw, including several measurements. A model will be crafted, tested, and adjusted until the color, shape, and fit of the denture are right for your needs. Once the model is ready, it is sent to the dental lab and used to cast your permanent denture. Finally, you will receive your permanent denture and minor adjustments will be made, if necessary, to ensure comfort and fit.

Depending on the needs of your smile, you may benefit from a full or partial denture:

Conventional Full Dentures are a great option if you need replacement for all of your upper and/or lower teeth. Once your gums have fully healed from any extractions, we take impressions and measurements of your jaws and gums. These are used in crafting a custom model of your future denture. The model will be adjusted for fit, then sent to the lab for the denture to be made. Once complete, we will fit the denture to your mouth,

Immediate Full Dentures are an excellent choice for patients who need the last remaining upper and/or lower teeth extracted. These dentures provide temporary replacement for your teeth while your gums heal following extraction. The immediate denture is placed immediately following extraction, which allows you to have the appearance and function of teeth during the healing process. In fact, immediate dentures act like a sort of bandage in your mouth and serve to promote healing in your gums. Generally, a set of Conventional Full Dentures is made to replace the Immediate dentures once healing has completed.

Partial Dentures, also known as Dental Bridges, are a replacement for one or more missing teeth. Besides the aesthetic reason for bridges, patients often choose to have a bridge to prevent teeth from rotating or shifting into the empty spaces caused by tooth loss. A standard bridge places a crown on the teeth surrounding the empty space, then attaches a replacement tooth to those crowns. One of our dentists will help you match the replacement to your natural teeth for a consistent look to your smile.

Dentures provide many benefits as a method of tooth replacement. Some of these include:

  • Smile improvement – dentures restore a full, natural-looking smile
  • Functionality – dentures restore the ability to chew foods evenly throughout your mouth
  • Oral health – partial dentures prevent shifting of teeth surrounding empty spaces from missing teeth
  • Overall appearance – dentures can prevent the facial sagging that can be caused by missing teeth

With any form of dentures, you should follow up with our doctors as recommended. We may need to make adjustments to your dentures over time to keep proper fit and full comfort. You should clean your dentures regularly using a soft bristle toothbrush and a non-abrasive cleanser to avoid build up of plaque. Generally, dentures should be replaced every 5-10 years. Ask our doctors to evaluate whether your dentures should be refit or replaced.

Let us help to restore your smile today. Contact our office today for more information on dentures or to set up an appointment.