Full and Partial Dentures in Vestal, NY

Being told you need dentures is a significant moment, and we understand that it can take time to sit with. It is also a very different experience today than it was a generation ago.

Materials, tooth design and fabrication have all moved on considerably, and a well made set now is comfortable, secure and natural looking. This page covers the options available to you, what each one involves, and how we go about getting the fit right.

Your Three Real Options

A conventional full denture rests on the gums and is held by suction and muscle control. It is the most accessible option, it requires no surgery, and it can be made for almost anybody regardless of bone or medical history. It also moves. Lower dentures move more than upper ones because there is less ridge to grip and a tongue working against them.

An implant-supported denture clips onto a small number of implants placed in the jaw. It does not move, biting force goes up substantially, and the palate can often be left uncovered so food tastes the way it should. It costs considerably more and involves surgery and healing time. Where every tooth in an arch is being replaced, that becomes full mouth implant restoration. For most people who have worn both, there is no comparison.

A partial denture replaces some teeth while keeping the rest. Keeping natural teeth is almost always worth doing, because they preserve bone and give the partial something solid to anchor against.

Our Learning Center weighs conventional against implant-supported dentures in more detail than fits here.

What Modern Dentures Are Actually Like

The dentures most people picture are decades old. Materials, tooth molds and fabrication have all moved on considerably, and a well made set today is not trying to look like a uniform row of white tiles.

Good dentures are designed with slight irregularity, appropriate shade for your age and complexion, and tooth proportions that suit your face. The gum-colored base is shaded rather than flat pink. Done properly, most people cannot tell.

Fit is where the real difference lies, and fit comes from the records taken before anything is made: how your jaws relate to each other, where the bite should sit, how much tooth shows when you speak and when you smile. Rushing that stage is why some dentures never feel right no matter how many adjustments follow.

Dr. Fritz Zietsman is a board eligible prosthodontist, the specialty dedicated to replacing missing teeth, and one of a small number in the country. On a denture case that matters more than it does almost anywhere else in dentistry, because there is no tooth left to hide a compromise behind. You can read about him and the rest of the team, and our Learning Center explains what a prosthodontist is and when it matters.

Settling In With New Dentures

New dentures feel strange. Expect a few weeks of your mouth deciding what to make of them, and expect to come back for adjustments. That is not a sign anything went wrong, it is part of the process, and a practice that does not schedule those visits has not set you up properly.

Speech sorts itself out fastest, usually within a couple of weeks, and reading aloud at home speeds it up more than anything else. Eating takes longer. Start with softer food cut small, chew on both sides at once rather than one, and add harder things back gradually. Sore spots in the first weeks are normal and are fixed by a small adjustment, not by enduring them.

Two things worth knowing in advance. Dentures need relining every few years as the ridge changes shape underneath, and that is maintenance rather than failure. And they come out at night, because gum tissue needs the rest and sleeping in them raises the risk of inflammation and fungal infection.

Partial Dentures and Keeping What You Have

If some teeth are sound, keeping them is usually the better plan even when extracting everything would be simpler in the short term. Every natural root you keep is bone you keep, and a partial that clasps onto stable teeth is far more secure than a full denture floating on a ridge.

That makes the health of the remaining teeth the priority. Gum disease treated now can be the difference between a partial that lasts fifteen years and a full denture in three. Sometimes a tooth is worth a crown specifically because it gives a partial something to hold.

Denture Questions We Hear

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  Will I be without teeth at any point?
  Not if the case is planned properly. An immediate denture is made in advance and placed the same day the teeth come out, so you do not leave without them. The trade-off is that the ridge changes shape considerably while it heals, so an immediate denture needs relining or replacing once things settle. We will tell you upfront which route we are recommending and what it means for the months afterward.
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  Should I use denture adhesive?
  A small amount for confidence is fine. Needing progressively more of it is a message. Adhesive compensates for a fit that has changed, usually because the ridge underneath has resorbed, and covering that up means the underlying problem keeps developing out of sight. If you have gone from none to a lot over a year or two, come in for a reline assessment rather than buying a bigger tube.
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  How do I clean them?
  Brush them daily with a denture brush and mild soap or denture cleaner, never regular toothpaste, which is abrasive enough to scratch the acrylic and give bacteria somewhere to live. Clean over a folded towel or a basin of water so a drop does not crack them. Soak overnight in a denture solution. Rinse thoroughly before they go back in. And brush your gums, tongue and palate every morning, which people skip and should not.
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  Can I switch to implants later if I start with a conventional denture?
  Often yes, and plenty of people do. The complication is that the bone keeps shrinking in the meantime, so the longer you wait the more likely grafting becomes part of the plan. It is not a closed door, it just gets more involved and more expensive over time, and our dental implants page covers what is involved. If implants are something you might want eventually, say so now, because it changes how we plan the case even if you are not doing it this year.
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  Will I be able to taste food properly?
  A conventional upper denture covers the palate, and while most taste comes from the tongue and the nose, the palate contributes texture and temperature, so food can feel different at first. Most people adapt within a few months. If this matters a great deal to you, it is one of the strongest practical arguments for an implant-supported upper, which can often be made without covering the palate at all.
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  What do dentures cost, and what does insurance cover?
  Conventional dentures are the most affordable tooth replacement there is, and most dental plans cover a meaningful share, usually with a frequency limit of one set every several years. Implant-supported options are covered far less consistently. We will work out your actual benefits and give you a written estimate for each route you are considering, so you can compare like with like. Our payment options page covers the plans and the financing available.