Full dental dentures, or in other words total dentures, are applied in cases where a person loses all of their teeth as a result of trauma, caries, or bone loss. They are removable dentures fitted onto the upper and lower jaws by obtaining support from soft tissues. Full dentures are applied to individuals who lack natural teeth and are unable to perform chewing and speech functions. Having good chewing function carries great importance for the digestion of food. Full dentures enable the restoration of chewing and speech functions. In addition, they allow you to achieve an aesthetic appearance. For this reason, full dentures are one of the most important applications in dentistry. Serving his patients in Adana, Specialist Dentist Emin Serhat Arıkan explained what full dentures are and under which circumstances they are applied.
What is a Total (Full Dental) Denture?
Full dentures serve as a solution for patients who have lost all of their teeth. They aim to compensate for lost teeth, restore chewing and speech functions, and help the patient regain an aesthetic appearance.
What Are the Manufacturing Stages of a Full Denture (Total Denture)?
Initial Examination – In full denture treatment, an initial examination is conducted first and treatment planning is prepared. At this stage, the dentist analyzes the patient's general health status. Information regarding the cause of the patient's tooth loss is acquired. During this evaluation, the patient's needs are identified and the most suitable treatment planning is carried out.
Impression Taking and Modeling – Taking impressions carries great importance for the denture to adapt to the mouth in the most accurate manner. The dentist meticulously takes impressions that will harmonize with the patient's oral structure. During the modeling stage, care is taken to ensure that the denture meets the patient's needs functionally and aesthetically.
Denture Fabrication and Fit Adjustment – The denture produced under laboratory conditions is subjected to some special processes so that it can harmonize with the patient's oral structure. The color and form of the denture are planned. As a result of all these efforts, the denture should provide ease of use and look natural.
Try-in and Final Inspection – After the denture is prepared, final try-ins are performed. It is checked whether the denture sits properly in the patient's mouth. What matters at this stage is for the patient to use the teeth comfortably and for their aesthetic expectations to be met.
Who is Total Denture Made For?
If losses of teeth, gums, or alveolar bone are in question, total denture application may be needed. Full dentures are preferred in cases where all natural teeth have been lost. The patient's chewing and speech functions as well as aesthetic appearance are restored. Being able to perform the chewing function carries great importance for digestion. Otherwise, the occurrence of different health problems becomes inevitable.
The aesthetic and natural appearance of the denture carries as much importance as restoring the chewing function.
How is the Adaptation Process to Full Dentures?
When you start using full dentures, it is normal to feel like there is a large, foreign object in your mouth and to experience discomfort initially. In the initial period, a feeling of fullness occurs in the cheeks and lips. No matter how thin the denture is made, the user feels fullness during the adaptation period. Lower dentures move more and can even dislodge. Adaption to lower dentures is much more challenging and takes longer for the patient compared to upper dentures. In the first few days, an increase in saliva secretion may occur due to the stimulation of salivary glands. However, this situation is temporary and disappears over time. Sore spots (ulcerations) may form due to contact between the dentures and soft tissue. This is normal and inevitable. For this reason, control appointments should be attended at intervals specified by the dentist, and adjustments should be made to the denture. Patients should not attempt to adjust sore spots themselves; otherwise, existing problems will grow even larger. In order to eliminate sore spots, the denture must be worn for at least eight hours prior to visiting the dentist. This allows the doctor to better see the location of the sore spots. Within a few weeks, the tissues in the mouth adapt to the denture, and these problems diminish and disappear.
How Should the Care of Full Dentures Be Performed?
Regular maintenance must be applied so that full dentures can be used for a longer period and their hygiene can be preserved. Dentures should be cleaned every day using a soft brush and denture cleanser. In addition, dentures should be removed before going to sleep at night and kept in a clean container. Due attention should be given to intraoral hygiene, and gums should be cleaned regularly.
Following the instructions given by your dentist and not neglecting these maintenance practices extends the lifespan of the denture while also helping protect your oral health. The discomfort felt in lips and cheeks during initial use may increase further during biting and chewing actions. However, it should not be forgotten that all these negatives are normal and will pass over time. Using soft brushes when cleaning your denture prevents it from wearing down over time. When you neglect cleaning, hygienic problems can occur, and the danger of infection may arise. Using normal toothpaste or cleaning the denture with boiling water is incorrect.
Why Should Full Denture Users Go for Regular Dental Check-ups?
During the full denture treatment process, the patient must certainly go for regular dental check-ups. The dentist schedules control appointments at specific periods to detect all possible problems and discomforts that may occur after denture use. Thanks to these check-ups, full dentures can be used much longer and in a healthy manner.
Under Which Conditions Are Full Dentures (Total Dentures) Used?
Full dentures are used in individuals experiencing edentulism (total tooth loss). However, certain criteria must be met for total dentures to be applied. To list these criteria:
- The patient must certainly have lost all of their teeth.
- The patient's jawbone density must be suitable for denture treatment.
- The patient should not have intraoral allergies.
- Finally, the patient should not be experiencing severe jawbone deformation.
- Different treatment alternatives should be evaluated for patients who cannot meet these criteria.
Can an Aesthetic Appearance Be Achieved with Full Dentures?
It is possible to achieve oral and dental aesthetics with full dentures. It is normal to feel volume and fullness in the mouth during the first few weeks after the denture is fitted. Over time, the dentures harmonize with the mouth and tissues. Subsequently, using the dentures becomes easier for the patient. Although patients experience a certain degree of difficulty taking them in and out in the initial period, this also disappears after a while. Following the dentist's recommendations and instructions eases this process. To summarize, it is possible to achieve an aesthetic appearance with full dentures.
What Kind of Problems Are Experienced When Using Full Dentures (Total Dentures)?
There are several factors affecting the retention property of full dentures. Possible problems that may be experienced while using dentures include many anatomical factors such as gum health, jaw structure, and jawbone resorption. At this stage, factors such as the quality of the denture and the preferred material directly affect retention.
Total dentures receive support from tissue and are removable. In particular, the lower palate having less volume compared to the upper palate and the presence of the tongue in the lower jaw make the lower denture much more mobile than the upper denture. One of the most common complaints expressed by patients is, "My upper palate holds, but my lower palate is constantly moving." Sore spots can frequently form in the mouth due to this mobility. All these problems can be solved by attending control appointments and making the required revisions.
How is the Full Denture Treatment Price Determined?
The cost of full denture treatment may vary depending on many factors such as the type of denture to be used, the patient's oral and jaw structure, additional procedures required, materials used, and the pricing policy of the healthcare institution performing the treatment. In some patients, additional applications such as treating oral tissues prior to the denture, procedures aimed at increasing denture adaptation, or renewing existing dentures may be needed. Therefore, there is no standard fee for full dentures. The most accurate treatment plan and cost information are determined in line with the patient's needs following a clinical examination conducted by the dentist.
What Is Prosthetic Dental Treatment?
