Dentures in Antalya, Turkey

Types of dentures

• Full (complete) denture — replaces all the teeth in a jaw. An upper denture covers the palate and is held by suction; a lower denture rests on a narrower ridge and moves more.
• Partial denture — fills gaps between your remaining teeth and is held by small clasps. The base is acrylic, a thin metal framework (cobalt-chrome) or a flexible plastic.
• Immediate denture — fitted on the day teeth are extracted, so you are not without teeth. As the gums shrink over the following 3–6 months it needs relining or replacing.
• Implant-supported overdenture — a denture that clicks onto 2–4 implants with ball, stud or bar attachments. You still take it out to clean it.

Who dentures suit

Dentures suit people who are missing many or all teeth and want a lower-cost option, people for whom implant surgery is not possible for medical reasons, and patients who need teeth while implants heal. A lower full denture is often the hardest to get used to, because it has little to hold on to; two implants make a large difference there.

Before a partial denture is made, decay and gum disease in the remaining teeth are treated, because the clasps rest on those teeth. If you want teeth that do not come out at all, look at bridges, implants or a fixed full-arch bridge.

Overdenture or All-on-4?

For the lower jaw, a denture on two implants is a well-researched standard; the upper jaw usually needs four. A fixed All-on-4 bridge is screwed in and chews more like natural teeth, but it costs more and needs enough bone for 4–6 implants. Your dentist compares these options on the 3D scan.

Your appointments in Antalya

Conventional full or partial denture: about 7–10 days

1. Examination, X-ray and first impressions.
2. Precise impressions and a record of how your jaws meet.
3. Try-in: the teeth are set in wax so you can check shape, colour and bite before the denture is finished.
4. Fitting of the finished denture.
5. One or more adjustment visits for sore spots before you fly home.

Laboratory work is needed between these steps, which is why they are spread over about 7–10 days. If teeth have to be extracted first, you receive an immediate denture or wait for the gums to heal; your plan states which and how long.

Implant overdenture: two trips

On the first trip the implants are placed under local anaesthesia. They heal for 3–6 months, during which you wear a denture that is adjusted so it does not press on them. On the second trip the attachments are connected and the denture is finished or adapted. Your plan states the number of days for each trip.

Getting used to a new denture

• In the first days you may produce more saliva and some words, especially those with “s” and “f”, can sound different. Reading aloud helps.
• Start with soft food cut into small pieces and chew on both sides at the same time.
• Sore spots are common in the first weeks. Do not adjust the denture yourself; a dentist can ease it in a few minutes.
• Most people feel comfortable after several weeks; a lower full denture often takes longer.

Daily care and relining

• Take the denture out and brush it every day with a soft brush and a denture cleaner or mild soap. Ordinary toothpaste is abrasive and scratches it.
• Clean it over a towel or a basin of water, so it does not break if dropped.
• Take it out at night and keep it in water or a cleaning solution, unless your dentist advises otherwise.
• Never use hot water, which can warp the base.
• Brush your gums, tongue and any remaining teeth, and with an overdenture the implant attachments.

Relining

Gums and bone change shape over time, so a denture gradually loosens. Relining adds new base material to the fitting surface; for many people this is needed every few years, and usually 3–6 months after extractions. Any dentist can reline a denture. The plastic inserts of overdenture attachments wear and are replaced when the denture feels loose. A denture itself typically lasts about 5–10 years.

Risks, disadvantages and cost

• Sore spots and ulcers, mainly in the first weeks or when the fit loosens.
• A fungal infection of the gums under the denture, more likely if it is worn at night or not cleaned well.
• Under a conventional denture the jawbone continues to shrink, so it becomes looser over the years.
• Chewing force is lower than with natural teeth, and an upper denture covering the palate can change how food tastes.
• Clasps of a partial denture collect plaque; poor cleaning can lead to decay and gum disease in the teeth that hold it.
• Overdentures add the risks of implant surgery and need regular maintenance of the attachments.

The cost depends on the type of denture and its material, the number of implants and attachments, and any extractions or gum treatment needed first. See prices.