Dentures in Tunbridge Wells — Eat, Speak and Smile Like Yourself Again

A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and the gum around them, made from hard-wearing materials designed to look like natural teeth and gums.

It's made to fit closely against your own gums and the roof of your mouth, and it's taken out for cleaning.

Dentures are held in place by suction, by the shape of your gums and jaw, and — in a partial denture — by resting against and clasping onto your remaining natural teeth. They can also be held firmly by dental implants, which is covered further down this page.

What is the difference between full and partial dentures?

A full denture replaces all the teeth in an upper or lower jaw. A partial denture replaces some of them and fits around the natural teeth you still have.

Full dentures sit on the gum. An upper full denture covers the roof of the mouth, which is what creates the suction that holds it in. A lower full denture sits on a horseshoe-shaped ridge and has less to grip, which is why lower dentures are the ones people most often find loose.

Partial dentures fill the gaps between existing teeth. They're usually held by small clasps that grip your own teeth, or by precision attachments that are less visible. As well as filling gaps, a partial stops the remaining teeth drifting into the spaces — which protects the teeth you still have.

You can also have an immediate denture, fitted on the same day teeth are removed so you're never without them in public. The trade-off is that gums shrink noticeably as they heal, so an immediate denture will need relining or replacing once healing has settled, usually within several months.

What are dentures made of?

Most dentures are made from acrylic, cobalt chrome, or a flexible nylon-type material. Each has a different balance of strength, comfort and appearance.

How are dentures made?

Dentures are made over a series of short appointments rather than in one visit. Impressions of your mouth are taken, your bite is recorded, the teeth are set in wax so you can see and approve them before anything is made permanent, and the finished denture is then fitted and adjusted.

The try-in stage is the one that matters most to how you'll feel about the result. You get to see the teeth in your own mouth and say if they're too long, too white, too even or not like you. Say so. It's far easier to change at that stage than afterwards.

Do dentures hurt?

Making and fitting a denture is not a surgical procedure and doesn't require anaesthetic. It shouldn't hurt. What is common in the first days and weeks is soreness in specific spots where the new denture presses, and increased saliva.

Sore spots are normal and are dealt with by adjusting the denture, not by enduring it. If somewhere is rubbing, come back and have it eased. Do not try to file or adjust a denture at home — it's very easy to ruin the fit.

If your teeth are being removed before the denture, that part is done under local anaesthetic. See our tooth extractions and oral surgery page for what that involves.

Honestly? Strange, then manageable, then normal. Most people find the adjustment takes a few weeks, and it follows a fairly predictable pattern.

The first few days. The denture feels bulky and too big for your mouth. You may produce more saliva than usual. Sore spots can appear where the denture presses — these are normal and are fixed by adjusting the denture, so come back rather than putting up with them.

Speaking. Some sounds go odd at first, usually "s" and "f". This is your tongue learning where the new surfaces are, and it improves quickly. Reading aloud to yourself for ten minutes a day — genuinely, at home, out loud — is the fastest way through it. Most people are speaking normally within a couple of weeks.

Eating. Start with soft food cut small, and chew on both sides at once rather than one side, which helps keep the denture stable. Take your time. Add harder foods gradually over the first few weeks. Biting straight into something with your front teeth is the last thing to come back, and with a full lower denture it may stay awkward — that's one of the honest limitations of dentures, and it's the specific problem implant-stabilised dentures solve.

How long until it feels normal? For most people, a few weeks. It rarely happens overnight, and it rarely takes as long as feared. If something still isn't right after a month, that's a reason to come back, not a reason to give up.

How do I clean my dentures?

Clean your dentures twice a day, over a basin of water or a folded towel so they don't break if they slip. Use a soft brush or a denture brush with soap and water or a denture cleaner — not ordinary toothpaste, which is abrasive enough to scratch the surface and make it stain more easily.

Then soak them in a denture cleaning solution as directed, rinse them well before putting them back in, and brush your gums, tongue and any remaining natural teeth with a soft toothbrush. That last part is often skipped and it matters: it keeps the gums healthy and it's one of the main defences against bad breath.

Never use bleach, very hot water or anything abrasive. And keep coming for check-ups even if you have no natural teeth left — your gums, the fit of your denture and the soft tissues of your mouth all still need looking at.

How long do dentures last, and what is a reline?

Dentures usually need replacing after about five to ten years, but they often need adjusting long before that — because your gums change, not because the denture wears out.

When a tooth is removed, the bone underneath gradually shrinks. That's a normal and unavoidable process, and it means a denture that fitted perfectly two years ago can become loose. A reline adds new material to the fitting surface of your existing denture so it matches the new shape of your gums, which restores the fit without making a whole new denture. It's a much smaller and less expensive job.

If a denture is cracked or a tooth has come off it, that can usually be repaired. Don't try to mend it at home with glue — superglue is not safe in the mouth and it usually makes a professional repair impossible.

You don't have to live with it, and you don't have to buy a bigger tube of fixative. A denture that moves, rubs or clicks usually has a specific cause and a specific fix — and in most cases it's a smaller job than having a new denture made.

If it's become gradually looser over the years, the likely cause is gum and bone shrinkage. A reline is usually the answer, and it's far less expensive than a new denture.

If it rubs in one particular spot, that's an adjustment. It's a short appointment. Constant rubbing shouldn't be tolerated — persistent sore areas need looking at rather than putting up with.

If it's cracked or a tooth has come away, it can usually be repaired. Bring the pieces and don't glue them.

If the lower one has never stayed still, you are not doing anything wrong. Lower full dentures have very little to grip, and for some people no amount of adjustment makes one stable. That is the limitation of the design, not a failure on your part — and it's the situation implants were designed for.

If it's simply old, dentures wear. The teeth flatten, the bite closes down, and the face gets less support than it should. A replacement made to your current mouth often makes more difference than people expect.

If you're relying on fixative every day to get through, treat that as a signal rather than a solution. Fixative is meant to be a bit of extra security, not the thing holding the denture in.

Bring your existing dentures with you. Even ones you've given up on — they tell us a great deal about what has and hasn't worked for you.

Implant-stabilised dentures — for dentures that won't stay put

Implant-stabilised dentures are held in place by a small number of dental implants placed in the jaw, which the denture clips firmly onto. The denture still comes out for cleaning, but while it's in, it doesn't move.

For people with a loose lower denture, this is often the single change that makes the difference. You can bite into things again. You can talk without monitoring your mouth. The fixative goes in the bin.

It typically takes as few as two implants in the lower jaw to hold a denture securely — you don't need one implant per tooth. It does involve minor surgery, a healing period of several months and a higher cost than a conventional denture, so it isn't right for everyone. But if movement is your main problem, it is the option most worth asking about.

Dental implants