Dentists can fit you for dentures. They can make your dentures, and then they can adjust your dentures to fit properly. Those are just the basic denture services most dentists provide. However, what you may not realize is that dentists provide several other denture-related services.
Whitening of Dentures
Coffee, tea, colas, and other foods and drinks stain dentures heavily. Even if you are depositing your dentures in your denture cup every night and dropping in a cleaning tablet, the dentures never seem to be as white as when you fist had them. If you visit a dentist, you can ask him/her to whiten the dentures professionally. There are some more powerful cleaners at a dentist's disposal that can help remove some of the stains.
Refitting of Dentures
Your dentures always stay the same fit over time. Your gums do not. Gums tend to shrink inward when natural teeth are missing, causing your dentures to lose their grip and slip around on your gums. If you noticed that your dentures do not quite fit as they used to, you may need to have your dentures refit by your dentist. If your dentures are also causing painful sores in your mouth, you definitely need to see a dentist to refit your dentures.
Making New Dentures
If you break your dentures (and it does happen!), or if your gums have shrunk and changed shape a lot, you will need new dentures. The dentist can remake the dentures you broke, and completely replace the dentures you have. The process is the same as the first time you got your first pair of dentures.
Repairing Dentures
Sometimes dentures need repairs. This happens when you break off one of the false teeth or one of the false teeth comes loose from the fake gums completely. The dentist can replace or reinstall the broken or missing "tooth," and then your dentures are good as new. That is good news for people who do not want to replace or cannot afford to replace their dentures entirely.
Installing Permanent Dentures
Permanent dentures are a new product that combine dentures with implants to produce dentures that never come loose and never come out of your mouth. Essentially, your dentist will surgically install some screws in key areas in your gums. Then the dentures he or she creates to fit your mouth are popped onto the smooth ends of these screws, like snap-together toys. The result is a full set of teeth that look and feel very nice and cause less pain and cost less than if you filled your mouth with implants.
It is rare for permanent dentures to break, which is another plus. In the event that something does happen, your dentist knows how to replace the broken "teeth" and/or pop out the whole denture to fix or replace it. These services also fall under the broad category of "denture services", since your dentist is servicing the permanent dentures.
Dentist vs. Denturist
Some dentists are also denturists. This means that they have onsite labs for creating dentures themselves and that the work is not sent out to a lab somewhere else. If your dentist is also a denturist, you are in luck. Your dentures will fit better, will be ready faster, and will be repaired quicker. If your dentist is not a denturist, there is no onsite lab and you will have to wait a few days to a week to get your dentures and have them fitted. The only exception to this rule is when you get permanent dentures instead of removable dentures, since your dentist will have these on hand for the operation.
Share11 December 2017
My son was outside playing with some friends when he accidentally fell down and hit his mouth on the sidewalk. The fall knocked out his front tooth, so I immediately placed the tooth in a small jar and added some milk. I rushed my son to the dental clinic and the dentist immediately took us into the examination room. The dentist placed the tooth back into the socket and saved it. My name is Beverly Tillman and thanks to the quick work of the dentist, my son didn't lose his tooth. Since this was a scary time for me and my son, I wanted to write this blog as a source of information for other parents who are facing a dental emergency. First of all, don't panic and get to your dentist as soon as possible. I hope this blog will help to answer your questions about dental emergencies.