
Overview
If you’ve lost all
of your natural teeth, whether from periodontal
disease, tooth decay or injury, complete
dentures can replace your missing teeth
and your smile. Replacing missing teeth
will benefit your appearance and your
health. Without support from the denture,
facial muscles sag, making a person look
older. You’ll be able to eat and
speak—things that people often
take for granted until their natural
teeth are lost.
There are various types of complete dentures.
A conventional full denture is made and
placed in the patient’s mouth after
the remaining teeth are removed and tissues
have healed which may take several months.
An immediate complete denture is inserted
as soon as the remaining teeth are removed.
The dentist takes measurements and makes
models of the patient’s jaws during
a preliminary visit. With immediate dentures,
the denture wearer does not have to be
without teeth during the healing period.
Even if you wear full dentures, you still
must take good care of your mouth. Brush
your gums, tongue and palate every morning
with a soft-bristled brush before you
insert your dentures to stimulate circulation
in your tissues and help remove plaque.

Frequently
Asked Questions
Please note: The ADA does not provide specific answers
to individual questions about fees, dental problems, conditions, diagnoses,
treatments or proposed treatments, or requests for research. Information about
dental referrals, complaints and a variety of dental procedures may
be found here. You can also refer to our Frequently
Asked Questions page for answers to common questions.
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