Restorative Dentistry
Full Dentures in Los Angeles
The fit is the whole job — most complaints about dentures are complaints about a bad one.
A full denture replaces all the teeth in your upper jaw, lower jaw, or both. Smile LA Downtown Modern Dentistry works with a top-tier denture lab, because placing one properly takes skill and the difference shows every day.
How it holds
How a full denture holds
It rests on your gums, creating a seal that keeps the prosthesis secure through the day. That is the whole mechanism — nothing anchors a conventional full denture except the accuracy of its fit against the tissue underneath and the suction that fit produces. Which is why the fit is not one feature among several but the entire job. It also explains the two things everyone already knows about dentures: they need adhesive, because the seal is never quite perfect, and they need periodic adjustment, because the jawbone and gum tissue they are sealing against keep changing shape underneath them. A denture made well will still need relining eventually. One made badly never worked to begin with.
What a good one gets right
What a well-made one gets right
Four things separate a denture you forget you are wearing from one that ends up in a drawer.
- Shape, color and size Chosen so the teeth look like teeth rather than a set.
- The bite Correct, so you can speak and eat comfortably — the most common cause of a denture people stop wearing.
- Facial support Proper alignment holds the face up, which helps prevent premature wrinkling around the lips and the corners of the mouth.
- High-quality materials Built to look natural and to last.
Why we recommend stabilizing with implants
An unstabilized denture allows bone loss, and bone loss makes dentures harder to wear, causes jaw problems and eventually changes the shape of your face. Implants prevent that and hold the denture firmly, so you can chew with the confidence of natural teeth. See implant supported dentures and All-on-4.
The other kinds
Partial dentures where some natural teeth remain, and immediate dentures fitted at the time the teeth come out. The overview is on dentures.
The short answer
A full denture is a removable prosthesis that replaces all the teeth in the upper jaw, the lower jaw or both. It rests on the gums, and the accuracy of its fit against the tissue creates the seal that holds it secure through the day, while a correct bite lets you speak and eat comfortably. A full denture can also be stabilized with dental implants, which holds it firmly and helps prevent the bone loss that makes dentures harder to wear over time.
Full Dentures FAQ
- What holds a full denture in?
- A conventional full denture is held in by a seal: it rests on the gums, and the accuracy of its fit against the tissue produces the suction that keeps it secure. Nothing else anchors it, which is why the fit matters so much. Conventional dentures also need daily adhesive, because the seal is never quite perfect, and periodic adjustment as the jawbone and gum tissue change shape.
- Can I have one for just the upper jaw?
- Yes, a full denture can be made for the upper jaw, the lower jaw or both. Each one replaces all the teeth in that arch and rests on the gums of that jaw. Either arch can also be stabilized with dental implants where a conventional seal is not enough.
- Why do you recommend implants with them?
- Implants are recommended because an unstabilized denture allows bone loss, and implants prevent it. Bone loss makes dentures harder to wear over time, causes jaw problems and eventually changes the shape of the face. Implants also hold the denture firmly, so you can chew with the confidence of natural teeth.
- Will it change how I look?
- A properly aligned full denture supports the face rather than letting it sink. Correct alignment holds the face up, which helps prevent premature wrinkling around the lips and the corners of the mouth. The shape, color and size of the teeth are also chosen so they look like teeth rather than a set.
- Will I be able to eat normally?
- A well-made full denture is designed to let you eat comfortably, because getting the bite right is central to how it is made. An incorrect bite is the most common reason people stop wearing a denture. If you want the confidence of natural teeth when chewing, an implant-supported denture is the more secure route.
