Dentures – Chaska, MN

Effects of Missing Teeth

While many people associate dentures with older adults, age is far from the only reason for tooth loss. Injuries, genetics, gum disease, and untreated decay can affect patients at any stage of life. No matter the cause, missing teeth often lead to:

• Difficulty Chewing: Eating becomes harder, which may impact your nutrition.
• Speech Changes: Missing teeth can make certain words harder to pronounce clearly.
• Facial Sagging: Without tooth support, cheeks and lips can appear sunken or aged.
• Lower Self-Esteem: Many patients feel less confident or become more socially withdrawn.

Replacing missing teeth as soon as possible helps keep your oral health, your diet, and your smile looking and feeling its best.

What Are the Qualities of a Great Candidate for Dentures?

When you visit us for a denture consultation with Dr. Korte, she’ll examine your mouth and evaluate whether dentures are your ideal solution. A great dentures candidate typically has:

• Multiple Missing Teeth: Dentures are great for replacing several teeth at once.
• Good Oral Health: Healthy gums help keep your appliance secure and comfortable.
• Adequate Jawbone Density: A strong jawbone means a powerful prosthetic. This is especially important for implant dentures, which rely on bone for support.
• A Commitment to Oral Hygiene: Daily cleaning and proper care extend the lifespan of your appliance.
• Realistic Expectations: Adjusting to a new prosthetic takes time and patience, so great candidates need to be willing to put in the effort.

At our Chaska dental office, we offer partial dentures, full dentures, and implant-supported dentures, allowing us to match you with the option that best fits your needs and goals.

Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options

After your consultation, Dr. Korte may determine that dentures aren’t your only solution—or even the best one for your long-term goals. Some patients may benefit more from a different treatment. For example:

• A Dental Bridge: This replaces one or several missing teeth in a row using crowns secured to neighboring teeth. If you have some healthy teeth left, a bridge can be a more low-maintenance-high-stability option for your smile.
• Dental Implants: The gold standard of tooth restoration. This replaces the entire tooth from root to crown and offers unmatched stability, comfort, and longevity. Implants can also support full or partial dentures, creating a more secure and natural-feeling restoration.

No matter your situation, we’ll walk you through every option available and help you choose the treatment that gives you the strongest, healthiest smile that you can be proud of.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dental Implants

What are Dentures Made Of?

Dentures consist of two main parts: the base and the teeth, which are outlined in more detail below.

• Denture base. This is the foundation of your prosthetics and provides their shape and structure. It can be made from various options, including nylon, porcelain, or resin, though acrylic is the standard choice. Partial dentures usually also include metal clips that anchor them to healthy teeth in your mouth to keep them in place.
• Pontics (artificial teeth). The teeth are typically made from resilient, tooth-colored materials like resin and ceramic. Porcelain is a popular option, but it can be hard on natural enamel, so it’s not always recommended for partial sets.

The Denture Creation Process

It might vary slightly based on your unique circumstances, but usually, creating these prosthetics involves the following step-by-step process:

• Step 1: Korte will make digital impressions of your mouth to create an accurate model of your mouth to help ensure your new teeth fit like a glove.
• Step 2: This information is sent to a special dental laboratory, where a technician begins by creating a wax gumline on the cast of your teeth.
• Step 3: Artificial teeth made from resin are set into the cast using a device called an articulator, and the wax gums are carved and shaped to resemble your natural tissues.
• Step 4: This wax version is sent to our office so we can schedule you for a fitting and note any changes or adjustments required before sending them back to the lab to be finalized.
• Step 5: At the lab, the wax dentures are placed in a flask, and plaster is added to maintain their shape. Then, the container is placed in hot water to melt the wax portions.
• Step 6: Holes are made in the teeth so they can be attached and a liquid separator is added to the plaster to prevent acrylic from clinging to it. Then, acrylic is injected into the flask to replace the now-melted wax.
• Step 7: The plaster is removed with special instruments to reveal the dentures, which are then placed in an ultrasonic bath to be thoroughly cleaned.
• Step 8: Any excess material is trimmed away and the teeth are polished to perfection.
• Step 9: When the finished dentures arrive, we’ll schedule you for a final fitting before sending you home with a beautifully restored smile!

Adjusting to Your New Dentures

It might take about a month for your tongue and the other supporting tissues in your mouth to fully acclimate to your new dentures. Some patients experience aches, struggle to eat solid foods, or develop temporary changes to their speech patterns during this transitional period.

You might want to stick to soft foods, such as scrambled eggs, yogurt, applesauce, and mashed potatoes, until your connective tissues become more desensitized. You can also practice reading out loud to yourself at home to rehearse challenging sounds and words until you feel more confident in your enunciation.