How to Have Perfect Dentures Made

The only "perfect" set of dentures are the set we are born with. Unfortunately, thanks to gum disease, rampant decay, genetic defects or traumatic injury, many people lose their teeth long before their time. Dentures are custom-made prosthetic replacements for the total loss of dentition. While nothing perfectly replaces the loss of what Mother Nature intended to last a lifetime; there are ways to ensure a new denture is proper fitting, and as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

Instructions

• 1

  Schedule an appointment with a prosthodontist. A prosthodontist, specializes in making dentures, and has the best chance of making new dentures look the best. 1800dentist.com can assist in referring a local prosthodontist for your convenience.

• 2

  Attend the scheduled appointment. The patient should bring a picture of what her teeth looked like at their best. This assists the dentist in making recommendation on tooth shape. He will also take into account, the patient's age, eye color, complexion, hair color and body shape.

• 3

  Be prepared to answer questions. The dentist will want to hear the pronunciation of words with the denture currently being worn. He will be able to hear sounds that indicate a good fit or a bad fit of the current dentures.

• 4

  Be proactive and ask questions. Patients often end up with dentures they hate because they were too timid to speak-up. Be honest about the results that you would like to see. Convey expectations thoroughly, so all are on the same page.

• 5

  Ask the dentist for references, and before and after photos of patients he has made dentures for previously. Most dentists are proud of a job well done, and have photos available for patient perusal.

• 6

  Schedule another appontment to return for the dentures to be started. This will involve preliminary impressions, and then final impressions with custom trays made from the preliminary impressions.

• 7

  Schedule and attend a wax-bite verification appointment. This is a vital appointment, because this is when the shape of the teeth and the shade will be chosen. The dentist has hundreds of tooth styles in as many shapes and colors. Work closely with the dentist in choosing the proper teeth. It is a right of the patient to have a say in what is chosen, yet so many don't take the opportunity and leave it up to the dentist and then become unhappy with the result.

• 8

  Schedule and attend an appointment for a try-in. This is also a vital appointment. The teeth will be set in wax dentures, and aside from the wax being too pink, look pretty much like what the finished product will look like. Try them in and go outside to check them in sunlight and muted natural light. Request to take them home for the night, they can not be worn continuously, but they can be worn to show family members or friends. The fit should be snug, as it will be when completed.

• 9

  Return the wax dentures to the dentist to be processed into real ones.