Dentures

Dentures can replace some or all of the teeth in your upper or lower jaw. At Cham Dental in Houston, Texas, general dentist and prosthodontist Nada Alsawaf, DDS, and her team partner with area denture labs to design and make partial, complete, and implant-supported dentures. To see if you can benefit from dentures, call Cham Dental today and schedule an appointment, or book your visit online.

How are dentures different from dental implants?

Dentures and dental implants both replace permanent teeth, but there are differences:

Dental implants

Dental implants are metal posts that your dentist inserts into your empty tooth sockets. They integrate with your bone and serve as artificial tooth roots, supporting crowns, bridges, or implant-retained dentures.

Dentures 

Dentures are removable oral appliances that rest on top of your gums. They aren’t as durable as implants but last 10 years on average with good care.* 

Are there different types of dentures?

The Cham Dental team offers several types of dentures, including the following:

Partials 

Partials replace only a few of your teeth. They have a metal framework, pink plastic gums, and artificial teeth. The framework connects to your remaining teeth, allowing you to bite, chew, and speak confidently.

Complete dentures

Complete dentures, or full dentures, replace all of the teeth in your upper or lower arch. These dentures rest atop the roof of your mouth or lower jawbone ridge. You put denture adhesive (a special glue) on the bottom to prevent them from moving around.

Implant-supported dentures

Implant-supported dentures are like complete dentures. The difference is that these dentures are held in place with dental implants –– small titanium posts inserted into your empty tooth sockets. The implants integrate with your jaw, providing a foundation for your dentures to connect to.

What is the process for getting dentures?

At Cham Dental, getting dentures takes at least two visits spaced several weeks apart.

Partial and complete dentures

Your dentist reviews your dental records, completes an oral exam, and discusses your treatment goals. Then, they take 3D cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans, assessing the health of your jaw and alveolar bone (which anchors your upper teeth).

Your dentist uses an intraoral camera to take digital impressions of your mouth and sends them to a denture lab. The denture lab designs and manufactures a set of custom dentures specifically for you. A week or two later, you return to Cham Dental and try the dentures.

Implant-supported dentures

Getting implant-supported dentures is similar to getting partial or complete dentures. The difference is you undergo implant-placement surgery first. After surgery, the implants take several months to integrate with your jaw.

Once your mouth finishes healing, you return to Cham Dental. The team then takes digital impressions and sends them to a lab that manufactures your dentures.

Call Cham Dental today to see if you can benefit from dentures, or book your appointment online. 

*Individual results may vary.