Turlock Dentist | Turlock dental care | CA | Dentures

Dentures are a replacement for missing teeth that can be removed and put back into your mouth as you please. Depending on each individual patient case, they may receive full or partial dentures. Full dentures are used when all of the natural teeth are removed from the mouth and replaced with a full set of dentures. There are two types of full dentures.

• Conventional Full Dentures - This is when all the teeth are removed and the tissue is given time to heal before the dentures are placed. It could take a few months for the gum tissue to heal completely, and during this time you will be without teeth.
• Immediate Full Dentures - Prior to having your teeth removed, your dentist takes measurements and has dentures fitted for your mouth. After removing the teeth, the dentures are immediately placed in your mouth. The benefit is that you do not have to spend any time without teeth. You will, however, need to have a follow up visit to refit your dentures because the jaw bone will slightly change shape as your mouth heels. The dentures will need to be tightened by relining them after the jaw bone has healed.

Your dentures may take some time to get used to. The flesh colored base of the dentures is placed over your gums. Some people say that it feels bulky or that they don't have enough room for their tongue. Other times the dentures might feel loose. These feelings will affect the way you eat and talk for a little while. Over time, your mouth becomes trained to eat and speak with your dentures and they begin to feel more and more like your natural teeth. They may never feel perfectly comfortable, but it is much better than the alternative of not having teeth.

Even though dentures are not real teeth, you should care for them like they are. You should brush them to remove plaque and food particles before removing your dentures. After they have been removed you should place them directly into room temperature water or a denture cleaning solution. Never use hot water because it could warp the dentures. Your dentures are delicate, so make sure you are careful when handling them so you don't drop them. Also, never try to adjust your dentures yourself. You could ruin them, so you should always seek assistance from your dentist if they feel uncomfortable or loose.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PATIENT CARE OF DENTURES

A. Always keep the dentures covered with water when out of mouth.

B. Brush well with brush and detergent daily.

C. No commercial denture cleanser is completely effective in removing plaque and stains. Most do no better than scrubbing with brush and detergent.

D. Commercial denture cleansers are Mersene, Denalon or Efferdent.

E. An excellent homemade denture cleanser is:

• 1 tsp of Clorox bleach
• 2 tsps. of Calgon water conditioner (not calgonite)
• 1 cup water

Soak for 1/2 hour only, one or two times a week. Scrub with brush and detergent after and rinse thoroughly with water.

Notes: - Calgon is a water softener which is available at some grocery stores. Do not use Calgonite (a dishwasher detergent) or Calgon Bath Oil Beads. Caution: - Do not use this solution on dentures that have a soft lining. - Soaking dentures in this solution for a minimum of 30 minutes is required to kill most bacteria. Do not use this cleanser on metal partial dentures.

This formula is NOT patients who are wearing partial denture.

Do NOT to put the partials in bleach of any kind as it will ruin the metal.

CARE OF MOUTH

A. Leave dentures out of mouth six to eight hours every 24 hours to rest the tissues, (ie. remove dentures during sleep)

B. Use soft brush to clean mouth, tongue, etc.

C. Tissues of mouth will change. The dentures will need adjustment, relining and/or remaking in time.

D. DO NOT switch to old dentures as they will not adapt to new areas. If new dentures make mouth sore, the patient may take one or both dentures out for awhile, but do not put old ones in. Rinse with warm salt water to help soothe the region. Be assured that we will make the necessary Adjustments.

Please call us on 209-668-4040 so that we can have you come in for adjustment ASAP.

HOW YOU CAN FUNCTION WITH DENTURES

Dentures are not substitutes for teeth but substitutes for no teeth. In order for the patient to obtain optimum denture function he must develop some special eating habits.

A. Take smaller bites of food.

B. Chew slowly, especially at first.

C. Eat softer, easier to handle foods at first.

D. Do "biting" with knife and fork. It causes less trauma to anterior ridges.

E. If the denture does not bite off food, place food to one side in cuspid area rather than directly in front.This has lesser tendencies to tip the dentures.

F. Push the food against the teeth rather than pulling or tearing the food. This will tend to seat the dentures.

G. Divide the food and chew some on both sides at the same time. This is hard to do at first, but will balance dentures while eating.

H. Limiting mouth opening to 1/2 or 3/4 will less likely break seal and dislodge denture.

I. Understand that it will take time to adapt to the new dentures.

Accurate Family Dental. 2840 Geer Rd, Turlock, CA 95382