Dentures

What Are Dentures?

A denture is a removable prosthesis that replaces missing teeth and the surrounding gum tissue. Dentures have been used for centuries, but the materials and methods available today bear little resemblance to their predecessors. Modern acrylic resins, porcelain teeth, and digital design tools allow prosthodontists to fabricate dentures that are lighter, thinner, and far more lifelike than anything available even a decade ago.

When a prosthodontist designs a denture, the work goes beyond placing teeth on a pink base. Dr. Rasmussen evaluates your facial proportions, jaw relationship, muscle tone, and lip support to build a prosthesis that restores both function and appearance. The tooth shapes, sizes, and arrangement are selected to complement your face -- not pulled from a one-size-fits-all template.

Complete Dentures

A complete denture replaces every tooth in a single arch. The upper denture covers the palate and relies on suction between the acrylic and the moist tissue for retention. The lower denture sits on the ridge and is stabilized by the cheek and tongue musculature, sometimes supplemented by a thin application of adhesive.

Fabrication follows a deliberate sequence: preliminary impressions, custom tray impressions that capture the fine detail of your ridges and soft tissue, a facebow and bite registration to record how your jaws relate to each other in three dimensions, and a wax try-in where you see and approve the tooth arrangement before the final denture is processed. This typically requires four to five appointments over several weeks. Each visit builds on the data from the last, and adjustments happen incrementally rather than after the fact.

Partial Dentures

When healthy teeth remain, a removable partial denture fills the gaps while clasping onto the existing teeth for support. The framework is usually cast from a cobalt-chromium alloy -- strong enough to be made thin and lightweight -- with acrylic saddles carrying the replacement teeth over the edentulous areas.

Beyond restoring the ability to chew, a partial denture prevents the remaining teeth from shifting into the open spaces. Left untreated, that drift alters the bite and creates problems that are more difficult to correct later. Dr. Rasmussen prepares rest seats and guide planes on the natural teeth so the partial seats completely and distributes chewing forces across the entire arch rather than concentrating them on a few anchor teeth.

Types of Dentures We Offer

Every patient's situation is different, and the right denture depends on how many teeth remain, the condition of the bone and soft tissue, and what matters most to you in terms of stability and convenience. The links below cover each option in detail.

• Immediate Dentures -- Fabricated before extractions and placed the same day, so you never go without teeth during the healing period.
• Implant-Supported Dentures -- Anchored to dental implants for dramatically improved stability, particularly beneficial for the lower arch.
• Care & Maintenance -- Daily cleaning routines, reline schedules, soft liners, and what to expect at your annual denture check-up.

Who Benefits from Dentures?

Dentures are appropriate for patients who have lost all or most of their teeth due to decay, periodontal disease, or trauma. They are also used as transitional prosthetics during more complex treatment plans that may ultimately include dental implants or fixed bridgework.

Patients who have worn dentures for years without professional follow-up often present with ill-fitting appliances, tissue irritation, and significant bone loss. In many of these cases, a new denture -- or the addition of implant support to an existing one -- produces a substantial improvement in comfort, chewing ability, and confidence.

The Prosthodontist Difference

Any dentist can order a denture from a lab, but prosthodontists complete an additional three years of residency training focused exclusively on the replacement and restoration of teeth. Dr. Rasmussen trained at Mayo Clinic, where complex prosthetic rehabilitation is a core part of daily practice. That training translates directly into better impressions, more accurate jaw records, and dentures that require fewer adjustments after delivery.

If you are considering dentures for the first time, or if your current dentures no longer fit or function the way they should, a consultation with Dr. Rasmussen is a practical first step. He will examine your mouth, discuss your goals, and outline the options that make the most sense for your situation.