Denture Insertion

Finished Dentures

The big day has finally come, after all of the impression and try-in appointments, the actual dentures will be delivered. Upon first inserting the dentures into the mouth, they may feel tight and foreign. Sometimes, there are little spicules of plastic that come from voids from air bubbles in the model. These can easily be removed. The next thing to check is the bite. Even though the bite is verified during the try-in appointment, there are processing errors that creep into the plastic which can cause the bite to be off. Once the bite has been adjusted, then the cosmetics can be checked to make sure that they didn’t change from the try-in. Then a final check is done by moving the lips and tongue to make certain that the denture does not become dislodged. Now it’s time to take them home and try them out for real. It is important to not have unrealistic expectations. For new denture wearers, one must understand that they will not function the same as natural teeth. The chewing power is not near as good and they can become dislodged by certain movements of foods. For those who have worn a previous denture, the new denture will not feel the same as the old one. It’s just like getting a new pair of shoes. Even though the old pair has holes in them and are falling off your feet, the new pair usually feels very different. But when one walks in the new shoes for a few days, they will feel totally natural. This is the same with dentures. Sometimes you have to force yourself to wear the new set because they feel so foreign, but after a few days, they should function naturally.

Denture Try-Ins

Denture on an articulator with teeth set in wax

A denture try-in is an extremely important phase of denture construction. One must start with a perfect reproduction of the gums obtained by taking an extremely accurate impression. The resulting models made from the mold are mounted on an articulator, a machine that is used to reproduce jaw movement. At this point, a lab technician sets the denture teeth into a wax base that will represent the gum portion of the finished denture. Now comes the try-in phase. The first thing that is checked is the bite. The denture teeth must meet the same way natural teeth do, so it is of utmost importance that a proper bite is verified before the dentures are constructed. Next comes the cosmetics. The dentist checks for the proper alignment of the front teeth to make sure that the patient has a great smile. The patient is then given a mirror so that they can approve the shape and color of the teeth. Since the teeth are set in wax, changes can be readily made by merely heating the wax and resetting the teeth. The patient is then instructed to say a few words to make certain that they will be able to properly speak with the dentures in. Lastly, the far extent of the hard palate is measured to make certain that the denture will not protrude too far to the back of the mouth. The denture is now ready to send to the lab for construction of the final product.