Dentures in Long Beach

Our services

Artificial Teeth and Gums

What Are Dentures?

Dentures are a set of artificial teeth and gums used to restore a person’s smile and replace missing teeth. Dentures are custom-made to fit snugly in your mouth because we take a mold or digital impressions of your mouth which serve as the basis for the fabrication of your dentures.

Unlike dental implants, which require a sufficient amount of bone density to be eligible and often require patients to undergo bone grafting, dentures are much more accessible and less costly. Dentures are a better option for patients who are missing a few or most of their teeth, as they help to restore the function, structure, and appearance of their teeth.

What To expect

Denture Placement Process

Consultation - The dentures process begins with a consultation at Dodds Dental. Here, we will examine your teeth and take x-rays to ensure you’re in good oral health. We’ll assess any damaged teeth or tooth loss to determine if dentures are the right choice for you.

‍Extractions & Impressions - If you need full dentures, we will have to extract the rest of your teeth. This is because full dentures replace an entire arch or both arches of teeth. After extractions, we will take impressions of your mouth and send them to a dental lab to create your dentures.

We do not need to extract any teeth for partial dentures, but we will take impressions of your teeth. After extracting the teeth for full dentures, we will place an immediate temporary denture until your gums heal in 8-12 weeks.

‍Jaw Record - Next, we will take measurements and record additional information about your bite and how your teeth fit together. This is most important to full dentures but may also be necessary for partials. This information is sent to the dental lab along with your impressions.

‍Try-In - A try-in is a trial fitting to test how your dentures fit and take note of any adjustments that need to be made. For partials, a set of teeth is connected through a metal wire framework and clips onto your teeth with metal clasps.

‍Official Fitting- After making as many adjustments as is necessary, we will have an official denture fitting with the completed denture.

Full & Partial

Types of Dentures We Provide

Full Dentures - This is a type of denture used to replace all of the teeth in one or both arches of teeth. This is only recommended for people who are already suffering from severe tooth loss and are struggling to speak or eat.

These dentures will restore your smile and make daily life functions much easier. Over time, you may need to have your dentures adjusted due to bone loss and changes to your facial structure and bite.

‍Partial Dentures - Partials are removable versions of dental bridges that are more versatile because they can replace teeth that are on either side of the mouth with a single denture. The removability makes these tooth restorations easy to clean. They’re ideal for replacing a few missing teeth when patients still have a considerable number of healthy teeth. Partials help fill in gaps in the smile and help with mastication.

Am I A Good Candidate

For Dentures?

The good news is that most people who are in good oral health are great candidates for dentures. They are a great option for patients who are not eligible for other tooth restorations like dental implants or bridges.

You should not have any active oral health problems such as tooth decay or gum disease. With dentures, we can restore the function and appearance of your smile while boosting your confidence!

How To Properly

Care For New Dentures

When you get dentures, you need to protect them from wear and tear, prevent staining, and keep them clean. They’re not much different from how you would care for your natural teeth. You still need to brush them, prevent degradation, and go to regular dental cleanings.

However, there are a few additional things that you need to keep in mind when wearing dentures due to their less durable materials compared to natural teeth. A denture’s mold can warp if exposed to heat so you should never expose your dentures to hot water.

Only use warm water when rinsing them out or soaking them. That’s another thing that’s different about dentures – you need to take them out overnight. This is because wearing your dentures means more accumulation of bacteria, bone loss, gum irritation, and inflammation.

This will cause oral health problems, sores, and ill-fitting dentures. Instead, you need to take your dentures out of your mouth before going to sleep and soak them in a denture solution so they retain their moisture.

The last thing you want is dried-out dentures that will crack or warp. In the morning and at night, brush and floss any of your remaining teeth. If you have no teeth, clean your soft tissues with some gauze or a soft toothbrush. Then, rinse your dentures and brush them with denture cleaner and a soft bristle toothbrush. Do this twice a day.

When Is It Time

To Get Dentures?

Whenever you are missing a tooth, you always need to replace it. The only exception to this is your wisdom teeth, which don’t need to be replaced after extraction. When you lose a tooth, it will leave a gap in your smile, cause irreversible bone loss, and can even affect your speech and ability to chew your food.

The more teeth you lose, the worse these problems become. There are many different tooth replacement options on the market, such as dental implants and dental bridges. However, not everyone is a good candidate for these options – especially if severe tooth loss has caused significant bone resorption.

When patients are struggling to chew their food, maintain an aesthetic smile, and speak clearly because of extensive tooth loss, this is an indication that it’s time to get dentures. Dentures can be used to treat mild tooth loss as well. A partial denture can fill in gaps in your smile where you’re missing one or a few teeth and this will prevent the surrounding teeth from shifting.

How to Get Used To

New Dentures

When you receive a new denture, you shouldn’t expect it to instantly feel great and normal. When you first wear a denture, it won’t feel just like your natural teeth. The adjustment period to get used to a foreign object in your mouth takes about a month. During that time, you may experience all sorts of strange symptoms, such as:

Increased salivation
Tenderness or pain
Gum sores
Sounding louder than normal
Difficulty with pronunciation
Difficulty chewing foods

This is all completely normal and will subside with time. To help become acquainted with the sensation of dentures in your mouth, you should wear your dentures as often as possible. However, if you deal with significant gum sores, irritation, and pain, you may want to take them out a little more frequently in the beginning.

Anti-inflammatory pain medication and saline rinses will reduce inflammation, swelling, and pain. The excess saliva will reduce over time but in the meantime, you may want to suck on hard candies to encourage frequent swallowing.

To help with pronouncing certain sounds, practice reading out loud and spend more time on sounds that you are struggling with. You will notice that the auditory differences will also subside over time. In terms of diet, you should stick to soft foods exclusively for the first month.

You won’t be ready to introduce chewier or harder foods yet. Cut foods into small bites and try to chew on both sides of the mouth evenly. Avoid hot foods which can burn your mouth. After the first month, speak to Dr. Dustin or Dr. Emily about increasing variety in your diet.

Schedule Your Consultation

Have missing teeth that are impacting your ability to function or impeding your confidence? Dentures might be right for you! Contact us at Dodds Dental today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Emily or Dustin Dodds.