Important information about partial dentures

Any dental work you have may impact on the way your partial denture fits

To avoid unnecessary expense and the inconvenience of an ill-fitting denture, please note the following:

Before your denture is made

Where possible, have all dental work completed before your partial denture is made to avoid any negative impact on your denture’s fit.

A pre-existing denture

If you have an existing partial denture, consider taking the following steps prior to dental work:

• Before committing to dental work, share your dentist’s treatment plan with your prosthetist who will advise on how to minimise any negative impact the work may have on your denture’s fit. More cost–effective ways of accomplishing a well-fitting denture may be available, without the negative consequences of trying to fix problems after the fact. Impressions of your mouth can be taken with your chrome or flexible denture in place thus ensuring a greater level of accuracy in its manufacture and therefore the fit.
• In the event of emergency dental work, making a call to your prosthetist from the dentist’s chair before committing to the treatment, could save you unnecessary expense. Without your prosthetist’s advice, choosing one course of action over another because it seems cheaper, may turn out to be more expensive in the long run, even resulting in having new dentures made.

What can go wrong?

A common complaint patients make after having dental work done without prior planning is ‘my denture is rocking’. An unstable or ‘rocking’ denture is not only uncomfortable, but also allows food to become trapped beneath. The undue pressure placed on an uneven denture causes sore spots in the mouth and weakens the denture, making breakage more likely.

As every denture wearer knows, a well-fitting denture is synonymous with comfort and confidence.

Your rights and responsibilities

• Be informed about your rights as a patient. When the dentist adjusts your denture because of dental work, it becomes the dentist’s responsibility if it breaks, rocks or no longer fits correctly. This possibility can be averted by seeking your prosthetist’s advice on how to prepare prior to work being done. 
• Be aware that once the denture has been tampered with by a person other than the one who manufactured it, the patient has no claim on the manufacturer and must bear the cost of replacement or repairs if it breaks or no longer fits. For this reason, do not be tempted to try adjustments at home.