Did you recently go for a consultation for new dentures? Were you given a timeline for the new denture but wonder why it is going to take so long? When it comes to getting dentures made properly, certain steps and procedures need to be taken to ensure you receive high-quality dentures. The mouth has a unique environment, the gums are sensitive, soft, boney, mobile, and moist. In the mouth, the denturist also must consider the movement of the tongue, pooling of saliva and your temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) which is one of the most complicated joints in the body. The mouth is also always changing, the boney ridge that supports the dentures is constantly shrinking, medications can dry out your mouth and how you bite, or chew can adopt bad habits affecting your denture experience. In consideration of all that, it is nice to know that your denturist is investing the time needed to calculate all these variables in constructing a quality denture personal to you. Getting a denture from a denture clinic also means you are getting the dentures made in house, this means that your custom denture doesn’t get sent off to a lab and changes can be made and take less time.
Here are some reasons why it takes time for your dentures to be made.
Getting a Custom Final Impressions – Although dentures can be made from a preliminary alginate impression it may not be the best choice. This is the initial impression that is a big mouthful using an average stock tray. Making a denture on a basic preliminary impression will usually give you a denture that fits looser, is too long or needs extra adjusting because of sore spots. Doing a final impression may take an extra appointment but a custom impression tray is made from the stone model from the preliminary impression. This means the impressions tray is made custom to your mouth and using poly-vinyl material the impression produced will be highly detailed and substantially more accurate than a preliminary alginate impression. A denture made from a final impression, you can expect it to be better fitting, less bulky, not too long, and fewer adjustments.
Pin tracing bite registration – Properly recording a bite can be considered the most important step in making a denture. Incorrectly recording the bite can cause a cascade of issues, not only for comfort but more importantly it can damage the temporal-mandibular joint. Although pin tracers can be considered an extra step or an extra appointment in recording the bite, it is sometimes it is combined with the final impression appointment. Doing this extra recording can save you many trips of adjustments and discomfort. It is particularly important for people who have worn dentures for a while and have acquired bad habits in the way they bite. Pin tracing is usually included in premium dentures because it precisely registers the bite, creating a better functioning denture
All the teeth are set individually by hand into wax – Many people think dentures are commercially manufactured. Although the teeth themselves are manufactured, how the teeth are placed and where they are placed in the dentures are still individually placed by hand. Therefore, every denture is unique, every tooth is strategically placed by hand to maximize aesthetics and function. Once the teeth are placed, the wax is artistically carved to look like your gums. When finished the wax denture is ready for the client to try-in.
More than 1 wax try-in appointment – The main goal is to create a denture that looks great when you smile, at the same time function properly. Usually, things go smoothly, and the client approves how everything looks and feel in the first wax try-in appointment and can be made into the finished denture. At times more than 1 wax try-in appointment is needed, mainly to change or fix aspects of the wax denture before processing to the final dentures. Maybe the midline is not lining up, or the bite is not lining up and a new bite needs to be taken. Sometimes it is the aesthetics and the client want to change the look of the teeth multiple times. Many reasons can result in extra try-in appointments since it is at that time to make the changes before the final product where it can not be changed. Every time changes are needed the teeth may need to be reset, which also takes time. Keep in mind, at a denture clinic the lab is usually in-house where changes can be made faster if you are getting dentures made at a dentist the timeline may be different. At the dentist, usually lab work is sent out to a lab as not all dentists have in house labs and additional charges may be added for multiple changes.
Needing additional appointments with dentist for some dental work – depending on the prosthesis, sometimes you may need some extra dental work done. If you get partial dentures you may need to get rest preparations and proper teeth cleaning first. In this case, extra appointments may be needed, but usually will be discussed during the consultation before starting treatment.
When getting your dentures made from a denturist, the dentures are usually made by hand and intricately designed to fit the client’s mouth. Although it may feel like a long wait time before you get your dentures, it is for good reasons. But if you need your dentures quickly then you can choose Woodside Dentures’ Digital Denture Service at Airdrie. Book your free denture consultation at (403) 948-0954