Dentures

Replace missing teeth with natural-looking dentures

Dentures are a cost effective way to replace missing teeth and we ensure that the dentures we craft are comfortable, natural-looking and functional. They will restore the structure and contours of your jaws and gums providing essential support to your lips, cheeks, facial muscles and features.

If you have missing teeth it can affect how your other teeth bite together. The remaining teeth may drift into the gaps or food may get caught in the spaces and this can increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. If lots of teeth are missing your appearance and speech can be affected, not to mention your ability to eat.

Dr Judith Deeprose has a special interest in providing dentures. Her first job in the prosthetics department of Guy’s Hospital in 1987 saw the beginning of a keen interest in dentures. She now has more than 20 years’ experience of helping people to achieve a really functional and aesthetic result and her aim is to make them appear so natural nobody would know they were not the patient’s own teeth.

She is skilled at providing natural-looking, comfortable and functional dentures to our patients including full, partial (both chrome and acrylic) and immediate dentures. Our practice works with talented technicians both locally and nationally and we guarantee our dentures for up to five years, depending on the type and choice of denture provided and subject to standard use.

Partial dentures can be used to replace one or more missing teeth. There are different types of partial denture but they usually consist of a plastic (either acrylic or the latest flexible option, Valplast) or a metal framework with plastic false teeth. They are often supported by the remaining teeth or attached to your natural teeth with metal clasps or ‘precision attachments’, which are more discreet.

Full (or complete) dentures are needed when you have no natural teeth left in the upper, lower or both jaws. They usually consist of a plastic plate with plastic teeth.

Immediate (or temporary) dentures can be fitted and worn the same day that your teeth are removed. This prevents you having to spend weeks without any teeth, stops any problems related to speaking and eating and allows you to get on with your normal life.

Denture relining improves the fit of your dentures, by adapting the base to suit the changing shape of your gums, without the need to replace them with a new set.

Regular visits - even if you don’t have any natural teeth you should still have regular examinations with your dentist so that they can assess the fit of your dentures and detect any infection or other conditions at an early stage.

Implant supported dentures

To improve the stability of dentures they can be anchored to one or more dental implants. An artificial root made from titanium is placed in the jaw and a denture with precision attachments is constructed that clip onto the implants very firmly. The result is a denture that is stable and retentive. Studies have found that patients with implant-retained dentures (or dentures over implants) have improved speech, better chewing efficiency, increased nutritional intake and a general improved quality of life when compared to their conventional dentures.