Dentures In Rapid City, SD
Dentures are sometimes called ‘false teeth’. They’re prosthetic devices designed for patients that are missing some or all of their natural teeth.
Anyone that is missing all their natural teeth is definitely a candidate for dentures. In some cases, the patient and dentist decide that the existing teeth are too far gone to save, and the best course of actions is to extract the remaining teeth and move forward with dentures.
Absolutely! The color for teeth and gums is carefully selected, and the natural differences in tooth shape and size are carefully chosen based on each individual’s age, gender and unique facial qualities. Dentures are made to duplicate the patients natural gum tissue while providing the proper structure and support for lips, cheeks and face.
An upper and/ordenture is placed into a patient’s mouth and rests on the gums. The dentures are custom crafted to provide a precise, comfortable fit. Upper dentures have a natural ‘suction cup’ to the roof of a patient’s mouth. The lower denture is often anchored into place with a set of implants –artificial tooth “roots” that are placed into the jaw. The denture then snaps onto the implant for a firm, comfortable fit.
Treatment starts when the patient meets with the dentist for a denture consultation to determine if dentures are really the best option. If the answer is ‘yes’, a series of appointments are scheduled, and the treatment process begins.
If the patient needs extractions, or if they decide to go with implants on the lower jaw, a series of appointments will take place to prepare the mouth for the actual dentures. After that, the dentist will make impressions of the patient’s gums. Those impressions are then sent to the lab and a trained lab technician creates a custom set of dentures.
Occasionally a patient will come in that is missing all of their natural teeth. When that happens, a ‘wax’ try in appointment will take place a couple weeks after the impression appointment. During this critical step in the denture process, the patient is fitted with a mockup of their denture that includes a set of pre-made acrylic or composite teeth, set in wax. During this appointment the dental assistant will make sure the patient is happy with the general size, shape, position, and color of the new denture teeth.
Next, a delivery appointment takes place. At this appointment, the new dentures are fitted into the patient’s mouth and adjusted to make sure they have a comfortable fit and bite.
Finally, the patient will come as needed for adjustment appointments. These are necessary if the patient has any sore spots or other issue. Typically, follow up adjustments continue for a few weeks while the patient becomes more comfortable with their new set of teeth.