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Dentures in Sheepshead Bay are a cost-effective and reliable way to replace missing teeth and restore your smile. At VITAdent, we provide custom dental restorations, including full dentures, partial dentures, flexible dentures, same-day dentures, and dental flippers, designed for comfort, function, and natural-looking results.
This guide describes the difference between the dentures we offer, when you may need these appliances, and their benefits. We cover the process of making and fitting dentures step-by-step, as well as how to maintain them afterward.
What Are Dentures?
Dentures are designed to replace missing teeth and some surrounding gum tissue artificially. They have a gum-colored acrylic base, shaded to match your natural gums.
The acrylic base supports your denture teeth. There is an enormous range of denture teeth available. They come in various sizes, shapes, and colors, allowing us to select teeth that are perfect for you.
Because they are removable, they must be taken out for sleeping, giving your gums a chance to recover.
Types of Dentures
We offer several types of dentures, including:
- Full dentures.
- Partial dentures.
- Flexible dentures.
- Immediate dentures (Same-day dentures).
- Dental flipper.
1. Full Dentures
A full denture is designed to replace an entire dental arch. This could be your upper or lower arch, or both arches. The denture is supported by the alveolar bone, the ridge of bone that originally held your natural teeth. It is custom-designed to maximize retention and support using this alveolar bone.
A lower denture has a horseshoe-shaped design, where it only fits over your alveolar bone. An upper denture covers your upper palate as well as the alveolar bone. This helps provide additional retention.
2. Partial Dentures
When some natural teeth remain, we can fill in the gaps using a partial denture. The missing teeth don’t need to be side by side and can be located anywhere in the upper or lower arch.
Partial dentures in Sheepshead Bay also rest on the gums and have an acrylic, gum-colored base, but they can be strengthened with a metal framework. This framework is made from a lightweight metal alloy and may also include clasps made from the same material that fit around existing teeth. The metal clasps help to keep the denture more firmly in place, providing additional retention.
Some partial dentures have special attachments, where a specially made attachment is attached to the denture and slots into a dental crown with a corresponding fitment. These special attachments provide greater stability but do require suitable existing teeth to be crowned.
3. Flexible Dentures
Flexible dentures are generally used to fabricate partial dentures and are made from a flexible nylon material that supports the denture teeth. The nylon is a semi-translucent material, creating a more natural effect. The same nylon material can be used for clasps.
These flexible dentures lack the strength of ordinary dentures made from acrylic and are only suitable in certain circumstances.
4. Immediate Dentures (Same-Day Dentures)
After natural teeth are removed, your gums and jawbone begin to shrink and change shape as they heal. It can take several months for this process to finish, during which time we can provide an immediate denture, often referred to as a same-day denture, so you are not left without teeth during the healing period.
An immediate denture is made before your teeth are extracted, so it is ready to fit soon afterward. As your gums change shape, we can reline the immediate denture, helping it fit more securely. Once your gums and jawbone have healed, your immediate denture is replaced with your more permanent full or partial denture.
5. Dental Flipper
A dental flipper is a one-tooth denture that serves as a temporary solution. It can replace a single missing tooth soon after extraction and may be used until the empty socket has healed and is ready for another solution, such as a dental bridge or dental implant.
When Would I Need a Denture?
Dentures are an ideal solution if you are looking for a quick, cost-effective, and non-invasive option for tooth loss. They can help restore single or multiple missing teeth, enabling you to eat and talk comfortably and clearly. For patients with teeth that are damaged but still restorable, conservative treatments such as dental filling treatment or root canal procedure may be recommended before considering dentures.
What Are the Benefits of Dentures in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn?
Benefits of dentures can include:
- Restoring your facial structure as they will provide good support for the facial muscles in your cheeks and lips.
- Improving your ability to chew food properly.
- Improving your ability to speak clearly.
- They are affordable and do not need any invasive treatments to make and fit.
Our dentures are custom-made to provide optimal aesthetics and comfort.
See Before & After Results
Understanding the Denture Process Step-By-Step
Several visits to our dental office are needed to design, make, and fit your new dentures.
Step One: Initial Consultation & Oral Examination
The first step is to schedule an initial consultation with our dentist, Dr. Igor Levin. He will need to examine your mouth to assess how many teeth are missing and need replacing. If you have teeth that are failing, they may need to be removed or undergo further treatment before your denture is made.
During this initial consultation, we can discuss your treatment goals and show you examples of dentures, as well as the different qualities of denture teeth.
We also discuss the potential cost of treatment. This can depend on whether teeth need to be removed, the number of teeth requiring replacement, and the quality of the teeth required.
Step Two: Dental Impressions and Custom Denture Design
The next stage is to take a dental impression of your mouth as well as detailed measurements recording the height between your upper and lower jaws, your lip line, and midline. We may also take digital photos.
We will help you select suitable denture teeth that complement your facial features, facial structure, skin tone, and gender. The information enables your denture to be custom-designed in our dental lab.
Step Three: Fitting and Adjustments
You will need to return to the dental office so your new denture can be tried in. At this stage, it may be in wax rather than acrylic, as it is easy to make adjustments to the style, fit, and functionality, and to record any other necessary changes.
The denture is returned to the dental lab so that they can make any necessary adjustments. You may need an additional appointment to check that the fit is accurate and that the adjustments have been made correctly.
Once we are satisfied with the denture, it is sent back to the dental lab for final finishing, where the acrylic base is created and polished.
Step Four: Final Fitting & Placement
When the denture is returned, we are ready to fit it in your mouth and make any final adjustments. We may ask you to return a week or so later to make any further minor modifications required to ensure it fits exactly. If your denture becomes damaged or needs adjustment later on, we also provide professional denture repair services to restore comfort and function quickly.
What Our Patients Say About Us?
★★★★★
Dr. Levin is an amazing dentist! Very gentle, very light hands, very friendly too. So pleased with my whole experience, my dentures look amazing and I feel so much more confident smiling now. So glad I found this dentist, will becoming back for all my future dental needs 🙂
EDDY M.
What to Expect When You First Have a Denture
If this is your first denture, it probably feels quite strange initially. It will take some time for your facial muscles to become accustomed to holding the denture in place.
Persevere with wearing it, and it will soon begin to feel more comfortable and natural. Before you leave our dental office, we will provide you with valuable advice on how to adjust to eating and speaking with your new denture, as well as how to maintain its cleanliness.
Denture Care & Maintenance Tips
- Eat soft foods requiring little or no chewing initially. Introduce harder foods as you get used to your dentures.
- Chew on both sides of your mouth to help stabilize a full denture. If it moves out of place, use your tongue to reposition it and bite down carefully.
- Take out your denture at the end of the day and clean it thoroughly using a soft denture brush and proprietary denture cleaner. Alternatively, you can use a gentle dish soap, but avoid using toothpaste, as it is too abrasive.
- Clean your dentures over a folded towel or a sink full of water, so if you drop them, they are less likely to become damaged or break.
- Once your dentures are clean, soak them overnight in a denture solution that will help keep them fresh and hygienic. It’s essential to keep them moist, as otherwise, they could warp.
- After cleaning your dentures, don’t forget to clean your mouth using a soft toothbrush to brush your gums. This will help remove all plaque and food debris, stimulating the gums so they remain healthy.
It can take some time to get the fit of your new denture exactly right, so you may need to return to our dental office for minor adjustments to ensure you can wear it comfortably.
FREQUENTLY Asked Questions
How Long Do Dentures Last?
Your dentures could last up to five years or longer. Caring for them properly will prolong their natural life. However, during this time, you may need to get them relined.
This is because your gum and jawbone will continue to change shape and resorb, affecting the overall fit of your denture. Relining your dentures helps them fit more comfortably.
If you find that you need to use denture adhesive to retain them more securely, it may be time to consider getting a new set of dentures.
Will Dental Insurance Pay for My Dentures?
Dentures are essential for enabling you to eat and talk, so it’s likely your insurance will pay for most or all of the cost of your new dentures. You will need to check with your insurance provider to determine the exact percentage, which may depend on the type of denture selected and the materials used to fabricate it.
Are Dentures Painful to Wear?
We design affordable dentures in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, so they are as comfortable to wear as possible. However, as your jawbone changes shape and resorbs, you may find your dentures start to move around on your gums. At this point, they could cause sore patches.
We can remake them or relined them to ensure they fit more securely. If you find dentures uncomfortable to wear, implant-supported dentures may be another option.
What is an Implant-Supported Denture?
An implant-supported denture is an affordable solution that holds a denture in place with a relatively small number of implants. You can snap it in and out of the mouth for easy cleaning. It is more stable than a traditional denture, yet easy to care for and affordable.
If you are looking for affordable dentures in Sheepshead Bay, we can help. Our experienced dental team will work with you to find the optimal solution to restore missing teeth.
Achieve a natural, confident smile with personalized dentures from our experienced dentist on Avenue X in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn (11235). VITAdent ensures your dentures are tailored for comfort, function, and aesthetics, giving you a long-lasting solution for missing teeth.