Dentures

Today, advances in dental technologies and clinical techniques give patients the advantage when it comes to correcting missing teeth.

The Bristol Dental Practice can discuss options to replace your traditional dentures, or to correct any gaps, by using modern dental procedures that incorporate contemporary, lightweight flexible dentures, overdentures or implant retained dentures.

Dentures are cost effective false teeth that replace missing teeth, covering gaps of any size all the way up to what are known as full dentures, when the entire sets of teeth in the upper and lower jaws are replaced.

They can be either fixed or removable, and modern technology means that the traditional problem of movement, when a denture comes loose in the mouth, causing discomfort and embarrassment, has been greatly reduced.

Modern denture systems offer many people — there are around 11 million denture wearers in the UK — a comfortable and affordable solution to multiple tooth loss that can otherwise take a negative toll on oral health and social confidence.

Overdentures are one of several options which you can discuss with your treatment coordinator at The Bristol Dental Practice. They include:

• Full dentures — dentures to replace a full arch of missing teeth. We offer Valplast™ flexible dentures for optimal comfort and a natural look.
• Partial dentures — a denture to replace single or multiple missing teeth. These are supported by the patient’s natural teeth or dental implant(s).
• Overdentures — use implants to greatly improve the stability of a denture.
• Temporary denture — a short-term solution to the gap left by a missing or extracted tooth. This might be used when, for example, a tooth has been removed and a bespoke appliance is in the process of being made.

Following tooth loss the jaw changes shape as bone volume decreases, which can cause dentures to become loose. If it’s not addressed, this displacement becomes worse and causes discomfort, preventing denture wearers from eating what they want and feeling confident in social situations.

Meanwhile the gum profile also changes over time, adding to the problem. Lifting and twisting of dentures is a sign that a new prescription is required. Overdentures are the ideal solution to these problems, because they fix the dentures to dental implants that are anchored into the jaw bone. However there are other effective options too.

One is the non-invasive suction dentures system which creates an extra tight fit for patients who have the right kind of gum contours. Dentures can have a profound effect on the appearance of the wearer, replacing the natural supporting structures of the face and mouths, lifting tissues and muscles into their correct anatomical place, thereby reversing some of the most dramatic ageing effects of tooth loss such as pinched lips and sunken cheeks.

Suction dentures are popular because they are secure, comfortable and natural-looking. A small diaphragm seals off a valve under bite pressure, creating a vacuum between the denture and gums, resulting in a better fit to the soft tissues and improved resistance to the day to day impacts from eating and speaking.

Suction dentures can be mounted in the upper and lower jaws and because of their strength the size of the acrylic plate on the roof of the mouth can sometimes be reduced, improving speech and taste.

When teeth are damaged or lost, the appearance and function of the bite can be restored with dental prosthetics. Dentists who specialise in prosthetic dentistry are called prosthodontists.

After 5 years of training to become a dentist, a specialist prosthodontist must complete at least 3 years training in various dental specialties before a further 3 to 5 years of full time training in prosthodontics. During their specialist training they treat patients with complex dental problems and study the evidence base for prosthodontic treatments.

Many general dental practitioners offer prosthodontic treatments such as dentures but they will usually have less formal training and experience than a specialist and may be limited to using more simple treatments. Owing to their training and focus, Specialist Prosthodontists are the best equipped clinicians to fully diagnose, plan and advise on appropriate denture treatments.

Our team comprises some of the most respected specialist and general dentists in the South West, who routinely consult in hospitals and other prominent medical establishments. Our clinicians are also made up of industry leading researchers, key opinion leaders and university lecturers. They are involved in training future generations of dentists and specialists.

We’re always happy to receive referrals for any of our dental services, we treat routine to very complex cases and we also help extremely nervous patients who require sedation in order to access dental treatment.