Replacing missing teeth
How long does it take to get dentures, and what happens at each visit?
Dentures are made over roughly five appointments: preparation, first impressions, detailed impressions and bite registration, a try-in, and fitting, followed by a review. Most people need two weeks to a month to adapt.
What are dentures, and what is the difference between full and partial?
A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and the gum tissue around them, made to fit your mouth specifically. It restores the ability to chew and to speak clearly, and it supports the lips and cheeks, which is why faces change shape when back teeth are lost.
A full denture replaces all the teeth in one jaw — upper, lower or both. It rests on the gum and, in the upper jaw, is held largely by suction across the palate.
A partial denture fills the gaps where some natural teeth remain. It is held by the remaining teeth as well as the gum, which generally makes it more stable than a full denture. Partials also stop the remaining teeth drifting into the spaces, which is a real problem over time and one that limits future options.
What happens at each appointment?
Dentures are built in stages because each stage depends on information gathered in the one before. The sequence cannot usefully be compressed.
- Preparation. Any broken or loose teeth are treated or removed, and a thorough clean is carried out. Impressions taken over inflamed gums or heavy plaque record the wrong shape, and a denture made from them will not fit once the tissues settle.
- Primary impressions. Measurements are taken using standard stock trays. These are not the final record — they are sent to the laboratory so a custom tray can be made to the shape of your own mouth.
- Secondary impressions and bite registration. Using the custom tray, detailed impressions are taken, and wax blocks are used to record how your upper and lower jaws meet. This stage determines the bite, and the bite determines whether the finished denture is comfortable.
- Try-in. The teeth are set in wax so you can see them before the denture is finished. Shape, shade, tooth position and fit are all checked, and this is the point at which changes are easy. If anything is wrong it goes back to the laboratory; if it is right, the denture is processed.
- Fitting. The finished denture is fitted, the bite is checked and any pressure points adjusted.
- Review. A check a few weeks later, once you have been wearing it. Adjustments at this stage are normal and expected, not a sign that something went wrong.
The try-in is your decision point. If the shade or the tooth position is not what you wanted, say so then — changes are straightforward in wax and much harder once the denture is processed.
Acrylic or chrome — which one?
Dentures are classified by what the base is made from, and there are two options.
Acrylic is a lightweight dental plastic. It is versatile, straightforward to adjust in the chair, and can be added to later if you lose another tooth — which makes it the practical choice where further tooth loss is likely, or as an immediate denture after extractions while the gums are still changing shape. The base needs to be a certain thickness for strength, so an acrylic denture is bulkier.
Chrome uses a cast metal framework, with the teeth and gum-coloured sections built onto it. The framework can be much thinner than acrylic while being considerably stronger, so a chrome denture is less bulky and covers less of the palate — which most wearers find more comfortable and better for tasting food.
Chrome suits partial dentures particularly well, because the framework can be designed with clasps that grip the remaining natural teeth and rests that transfer chewing load onto those teeth rather than onto the gum. That is more stable and it protects the ridge. The trade-offs: chrome is harder to modify later, cannot easily have teeth added, and takes more laboratory work.
- Acrylic — lighter to make, adjustable, can be added to, more affordable, but bulkier and more prone to fracture if dropped.
- Chrome — thinner, stronger, more stable, less palatal coverage, clasps to existing teeth, but difficult to alter once made.
What does wearing a new denture actually feel like?
Strange, for a while, and everybody goes through it. Allow two weeks to a month for the mouth to adapt.
In the first days a denture usually feels bulky, the tongue is aware of it constantly, and speech is affected — S and F sounds are the usual culprits. Reading aloud for a few minutes at a time helps the tongue recalibrate faster than waiting does. Increased saliva is common and settles on its own.
Eating takes deliberate practice. Start with soft food cut small, chew on both sides at once rather than one side, and reintroduce harder textures gradually. Biting into things with the front teeth tips a denture and should be left until last.
Some soreness in the first week is normal. Persistent soreness in one specific spot is not — that is a pressure point, and it is adjusted in a few minutes at the practice. Do not attempt to adjust or file a denture yourself, and do not simply stop wearing it. Wear it up to the review appointment, because a denture left out cannot be assessed for where it is rubbing.
If a sore spot has not settled within a few days, book an adjustment rather than persevering. An untreated pressure point can ulcerate the gum, and the ulcer then changes the shape the denture is fitting against.
How do you clean and care for dentures?
Dentures are cleaned outside the mouth, over a basin of water or a folded towel so that a dropped denture does not fracture. Brush them daily with a denture brush and soap or a denture cleaner — not ordinary toothpaste, which is abrasive and scratches the acrylic. Scratches hold stain and bacteria.
Rinse after meals where you can. Remove dentures overnight unless you have been specifically told otherwise, and store them in water so the acrylic does not dry out and distort. The gums need time without pressure, and continuous wear is a common cause of fungal infection under the plate.
The mouth itself still needs cleaning. Brush the gums, tongue and palate with a soft brush, and clean any remaining natural teeth carefully, particularly where a partial denture clasps them — those points collect plaque.
Keep to routine check-ups even with a full denture. The ridge underneath continues to change shape for years after teeth are lost, so a denture that fitted well will eventually loosen and need relining or remaking. Check-ups also screen the soft tissues, which is not something a denture wearer should skip.
What are the alternatives to a denture?
For a single missing tooth with healthy teeth either side, a fibre-reinforced bridge or a traditional bridge is fixed in place and generally more comfortable than a small partial denture.
Implants can replace individual teeth, or be used to retain a denture. An implant-retained denture is still removable but clips onto implants rather than resting on the gum, which addresses the stability problem that most lower full denture wearers report.
Where several teeth are missing across both sides of the arch, or where the remaining teeth cannot carry a bridge, a denture is often the most sensible option and the least invasive. It requires no surgery, no reduction of other teeth, and can be modified as circumstances change.
Common questions
Can I have dentures fitted the same day my teeth are removed?
An immediate denture can be made in advance and fitted at the extraction appointment, so you are not without teeth. It will need relining or remaking later, because the gum and bone change shape considerably as the extraction sites heal.
Why does my lower denture move more than the upper one?
An upper denture is held by suction across the palate, which gives it a large sealing surface. A lower denture has no palate to seal against and must accommodate the tongue, so it is inherently less stable. Implant retention is the usual solution where this becomes a problem.
Do I need denture adhesive?
A well-fitting denture should not depend on it. Adhesive can help during the adaptation period or with a lower full denture, but needing more of it over time usually means the fit has changed and the denture should be assessed for relining.
How often do dentures need replacing?
There is no fixed interval. The jaw ridge continues to resorb after teeth are lost, so the fit gradually deteriorates even though the denture itself has not changed. Relining can restore fit for a period; eventually a remake is needed. Routine check-ups catch this before it causes sore spots.
Can teeth be added to a denture if I lose another one?
Usually with acrylic, often not with chrome. This is one of the main reasons acrylic is chosen where further tooth loss is considered likely, and it is worth raising at the planning stage rather than afterwards.
Will dentures change how I look?
They should restore rather than change it. Losing back teeth allows the lower face to collapse slightly and the lips to fall inwards; a correctly built denture restores that support. Tooth shade and shape are chosen with you at the try-in appointment.