Dentures in Eau Claire

Dr. Shook performing dental work with an assistant

What Are Dentures?

If you’ve lost teeth due to dental trauma, tooth decay, gum disease, or damage, it can leave gaps in your smile and make everyday tasks like chewing and speaking much more difficult. Dentures are a popular solution because they offer the ability to replace a few or all of the teeth with a removable gum-like plate and attached artificial teeth.

This not only restores your smile, but improves your oral health, keeps your facial muscles intact, and restores tooth functionality. Contact us at Shook Family Dental today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Erin Tollefson or Dr. Joe Bartlett to find out if dentures are right for you.

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Dentures in Eau Claire

Full Dentures

Replace all of the teeth in one or both arches of the mouth with full dentures. This prosthesis is only recommended for people who are already experiencing extensive tooth loss since it requires extracting the remaining teeth. 

The suction formed from the seal along the gums is what holds the dentures in place. Patients with full dentures experience an increased quality of life by improving their ability to eat more foods and improve the clearness of their speech. 

When patients have lost a lot of teeth, they tend to lose facial support in certain muscles around the mouth and get premature sagging. Dentures help mitigate this by adding support to these facial muscles.

Partial Dentures

Partials are dentures that only replace a few teeth in the mouth. They are more versatile than fixed dental bridges because they can fill in gaps in the smile that are on either side of the mouth.

Bridges can only replace consecutive missing teeth but a partial denture can replace teeth on both sides using one prosthesis. Connected through a metal wire framework, they hook onto the surrounding teeth with metal clasps. Partial dentures help patients boost their confidence by restoring their smiles and preventing teeth from shifting.

What Is the Dentures Placement Process Like?

Extractions will need to be performed for patients getting full dentures who still have remaining teeth in the arch that they want to be replaced. Impressions are then taken of the patient’s mouth and sent to the dental lab to fabricate their full or partial dentures. 

Patients getting a full denture will also need their jaw record measurements taken to determine their jaw relationship and how their bite fits together. You will receive immediate temporary dentures are your extractions until your full dentures are ready. 

Your gums need 8 to 12 weeks to heal before you can be fitted for your full dentures. For both full and partial dentures, you will have a trial fitting which is when you try on your dentures when they’re set in wax to test how they fit and feel. 

You can then tell your Eau Claire dentist if any adjustments need to be made and they will be corrected accordingly. A few adjustments and trial and error are normal during this period before receiving your official dentures at your final fitting.

Step 1

Implant Surgery

First, you’ll have your implant placed. Dr. Shook will clean and numb your mouth, creating an opening in the jaw tissue and placing a metal implant and healing cap. This is repeated for multiple implants.

Step 2

Healing & Recovery

You’ll be sent home to heal. It will take about 2 weeks to recover fully, but your implant must integrate with your jaw bone for 3-6 more months. You’ll come in for some follow-ups during this time so that Dr. Shook can build your restoration, such as a dental crown.

Step 3

Restoration Placement

Once your mouth is fully healed and your restoration is done, you’ll come back for your final appointment. Dr. Shook will check everything one last time, then attach your restoration to your implant, restoring your smile.

Am I a Good Candidate for Dentures?

A good candidate for dentures is someone who is in good oral health and is dealing with life challenges because of tooth loss. When someone has extensive tooth loss, they will face diet restrictions, reduced ability to enunciate, insecurity in their smile, and reduced facial support. 

Dentures help solve these problems in a cost-effective and accessible way. Dentures are an excellent alternative for patients who are not good candidates for dental implants because they have had gum disease or suffer from significant bone loss.

How Long Do Dentures Last?

With proper care and maintenance, dentures can last for 7 to 10 years, after which they’ll need replacement. The enamel typically erodes with age, which may loosen the dentures. Other causes of denture failure include dentures coming loose while smiling and improper dental hygiene, which promotes the buildup of plaque and tartar.

Some telltale signs you might need new dentures include difficulty speaking since loose dentures might cause slurred speech. You’ll also need to replace your dentures if they keep falling out of your mouth. This encourages the buildup of bacteria in the hole left by the missing denture. Damaged and stained dentures also need prompt replacement.

Step 1

Implant Surgery

First, you’ll have your implant placed. Dr. Shook will clean and numb your mouth, creating an opening in the jaw tissue and placing a metal implant and healing cap. This is repeated for multiple implants.

Step 2

Healing & Recovery

You’ll be sent home to heal. It will take about 2 weeks to recover fully, but your implant must integrate with your jaw bone for 3-6 more months. You’ll come in for some follow-ups during this time so that Dr. Shook can build your restoration, such as a dental crown.

Step 3

Restoration Placement

Once your mouth is fully healed and your restoration is done, you’ll come back for your final appointment. Dr. Shook will check everything one last time, then attach your restoration to your implant, restoring your smile.

How Do I Care for My Dentures?

Properly caring for your dentures is imperative to their longevity and to retain their structural integrity. This involves removing and cleaning the dentures with running water immediately after eating. Be sure to handle them carefully while cleaning to avoid damaging the clasps.

It also involves removing your dentures before sleeping and placing them in a jar of water or denture cleaning solution. Storing your dentures in moisture keeps them from becoming brittle and helps retain their shape. It’s important to rinse your dentures thoroughly with clean water before plopping them back into your mouth.

What Foods Should You Avoid When Wearing Dentures?

Eating certain foods may damage or compromise the longevity of your dentures. Some foods to avoid while wearing dentures include hard food like nuts, unpopped popcorn, and carrots.  Such foods require a lot of pressure to bite into. Unfortunately, the excess pressure might loosen or dislodge, causing a lot of pain.

You should also avoid eating popcorn since it may contain hard, unpopped kernels that may damage your dentures. Sometimes the kernels might stick underneath your dentures, causing irritation and discomfort. It’s also a good idea to avoid sticky foods like toffee and caramel since they can dislodge your dentures. 

Sticky foods are harder to remove from dentures, and the food might come into contact with the gums, causing irritation. It’s also best to avoid tough meat cuts like steak that require a lot of chewing. This chewing puts excessive stress on the dentures and leads to sore spots on the gum.

Step 1

Implant Surgery

First, you’ll have your implant placed. Dr. Shook will clean and numb your mouth, creating an opening in the jaw tissue and placing a metal implant and healing cap. This is repeated for multiple implants.

Step 2

Healing & Recovery

You’ll be sent home to heal. It will take about 2 weeks to recover fully, but your implant must integrate with your jaw bone for 3-6 more months. You’ll come in for some follow-ups during this time so that Dr. Shook can build your restoration, such as a dental crown.

Step 3

Restoration Placement

Once your mouth is fully healed and your restoration is done, you’ll come back for your final appointment. Dr. Shook will check everything one last time, then attach your restoration to your implant, restoring your smile.

How Many Hours a Day Should I Wear My Dentures?

You should wear your dentures for at least 8 hours daily for the best results. However, your dentist might recommend wearing them for much longer during the first 14 hours after getting them. That’s because dentures are essentially a bandaid for the tooth extraction sites.

However, note that wearing your dentures for too long might accelerate bone loss and lead to sore spots in the mouth. Take the denture off at night and place them in a water solution to keep them moist and give your gums some rest.