Our priority here at Northern Rivers Denture Clinic is for you to enjoy comfortable, well-fitting and functional dentures, allowing you to smile with confidence.

We created this personal satisfaction guarantee so you can proceed on your denture journey reassured we stand by our hand-crafted dentures 100%. If you’re not satisfied, it’s our problem and we commit to resolving it to your satisfaction.

In the service of transparency, we clearly define and explain the aspects of our personal satisfaction guarantee below.

Definition

Our personal satisfaction guarantee means we defer to our patients the sole and unilateral discretion as to whether the denture they are purchasing is acceptable within specified parameters (please see below).

We pledge the dentures we create for you will be:

provided with due care and skill
fit for their specified purpose (express or implied)
provided within a reasonable time.

The parameters of our personal satisfaction guarantee

Due to the nature of the denture making process, there are two distinct phases of their manufacture to consider when understanding our guarantee.

Firstly, and always paramount is the fit, comfort, and functionality of the denture. Secondly, there is the aesthetic factor which is how the denture impacts your appearance. This includes the colour and shape of the teeth and how the denture affects the overall look of your face.

Fit, comfort and functionality

Our personal satisfaction guarantee protects you without question when it comes to the fit, comfort, and functionality of your new denture. Issues like sore spots, rubbing or incorrect fit aren’t uncommon with new dentures as a patient’s face and mouth adapt to new conditions. Your prosthetist will adjust your dentures as many times as it takes to achieve normal chewing, eating and speaking without discomfort.

If your denture hurts because it’s rubbing or because it doesn’t fit, we guarantee to fix it.

Sometimes, despite taking every precaution being, and through no fault of yours or your prosthetist, things don’t go to plan. There are rare cases that can’t be foreseen. In these cases, having a satisfaction guarantee is invaluable.

For example: when bite registration (how your upper and lower teeth meet) has been difficult to attain accurately because the patient has been unwittingly tense when undergoing impressions, or because they’ve not had teeth for a while. The result is the denture doesn’t fit comfortably and it can’t be adjusted to remediate the problem. If this happens, we guarantee to make a new denture for you to achieve optimum fit and comfort with minimal fuss. However, we will not make a new denture for you if you have insisted on changes that oppose the professional advice of our prosthetists.

Considering the aesthetics of your new dentures

Beyond functionality and correct fit, how a patient’s new dentures appear to them is subjective, governed by the denture wearer’s perception. Therefore, in terms of the satisfaction guarantee we offer, it’s necessary to clarify this very important factor separately.

It’s not uncommon for patients to be indecisive and concerned about how their denture looks. After all, appearance is a very personal and important aspect of one’s identity. This is why patient expectations may not always align with what is clinically possible or prudent when it comes to dentures.

In some cases, a more youthful appearance results when the new denture ‘irons out’ lip wrinkles and fills out cheeks, especially if there was an absence of teeth before. But there is a limit to this beneficial side-effect before fit and functionality are compromised. Tooth colour or shape can also be cause for indecision or change of mind. Our prosthetists are always happy to guide and advise you.

Previewing your new denture’s appearance

We know how important appearance is. Therefore, we offer you an opportunity to see how your new denture will look at the ‘try in’ stage. During this appointment, our prosthetist fits you with a preliminary wax version of your denture complete with chosen teeth, prior to making the final denture. This allows you to see how the finished denture will look and make any necessary changes. Keep in mind new dentures need a settling in period. They may look 'full' in your mouth until your facial muscles adjust to the changes.

Confirmation statement

We ask you to sign a statement at this stage, confirming your satisfaction with the denture’s appearance. Following the signing of the statement, we offer a 24-hour period of grace so you can reflect on your decisions. After this period, your choices become firm and we commence making the final denture.

If you wish, we are happy to take photographs of the ‘try in’ stage on your phone. This avoids undue pressure to make an instant and possibly wrong decision, as a result. Having a photo of how your denture will appear, enables you to seek the opinion of friends and loved ones. It also gives you time in the privacy of your own home, to consider how the dentures will look. Alterations can still be made should you wish, by contacting us before the 24-hour period of grace expires. Simply call and make an appointment.

Be aware, however, given the time and work each modification entails, the number of times you can make changes without incurring additional cost depends on your choice of denture and its price.

Higher-end dentures have additional opportunities to make changes built into their cost, while changes to less expensive dentures are limited.

The Standard denture – 1 change
The Custom denture – 2 changes
The Premium denture – unlimited changes

We’ll modify your dentures at any phase of the manufacturing process, even after they are completed. However, once you have signed the confirmation statement approving your denture aesthetics at the try in stage, making further changes will incur additional fees.