Frequently Asked Questions
How are dentures made?
Making a denture takes several steps, from taking the first impressions to inserting the new dentures. Here is the denture construction procedure used at Vernon Denture Clinic:
1. Exam & first impressions
First impressions are taken for diagnostic purposes and to aid in the construction of custom trays for final impressions. During this preliminary step, the denturist also examines the oral cavity and structures and begins the formulation of an individualized treatment plan.
2. Final impressions
Using the impression trays created from the first set of impressions, the denturist takes a second set of impressions. This step ensures optimal impression accuracy so that the resulting fit of the denture is excellent.
3. Bite registration
“Taking the bite” is a process of establishing the position of the upper jaw to the lower and preliminary positioning of teeth and facial support.
4. Pin tracing and facebow
A pin tracing of a patient's jaw movements and bite position, combined with placement of a facebow used to locate the upper denture in relation to the joints that move the jaw, is the only way to determine the functionally correct position of the jaw and proper position of the dentures to the joint structures. This will facilitate precise functions of the dentures with the patient's biological structures. Using apparatus specifically developed for the BPS system, this step is for BPS patients only.
5. Try-in
At this stage, the denturist has constructed a preliminary set of dentures. Made out of wax, they are meant to give patients a chance to “try on” their new dentures and see what they will look like before processing the wax denture base into hard acrylic (the finished product). At this stage, the denture is crafted to suit each patient's individual appearance.
6. Processing & finish
Each denture is packed in plaster and then immersed in boiling water to melt away the wax base of the denture while maintaining the placement of the teeth. The spaces left by the absence of the wax must be filled with denture acrylic. Acrylic is injected under constant heat and pressure and cured into hard acrylic, an injection technique that compensates for the shrinkage which can happen as the denture acrylic cures. The denturist then trims and polishes the new denture.
7. Remount & equilibrate
In many cases, optimal performance is achieved when you return after a few days of use with your new teeth. At this time, we will take a new bite registration and mount your case back on the articulator to assess and correct any changes that may have occurred due to the settling of the dentures on the oral tissues.