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Dentures & Partials

Are you seeking a solution for missing teeth? People just like you have trusted tooth replacement with dentures for centuries.

Types of Dentures

Dentures are a removable piece of hardware used to replace some or all of your natural teeth. They come in two standard types:

Conventional dentures are not fitted until after the gums and jaw have fully healed from the extraction of your teeth.
Immediate dentures are fitted before your teeth are extracted. Immediate dentures will require several more fittings than traditional dentures, as the shape of your jaw and gums will change during the healing process, but they have the advantage of immediately restoring your teeth after extraction.

Partial dentures can be used when only some of your teeth need to be removed. Partials function similarly to a bridge but are removable.

Adjusting to Dentures

When you are first fitted for dentures, you may have to wear them all the time, including while sleeping. This will allow your dentist to quickly find spots that need to be reshaped due to discomfort or irritation. After the dentures are properly fitted to your jaw, dentures can be removed at night.

While dentures are not real teeth, you will want to care for them as if they were. Brush your dentures to remove food particles. You will also need to place your dentures into lukewarm water or a denture cleaning solution any time you remove them from your mouth. Hot water can warp dentures, so it's best to avoid it.

It can take some time for your mouth to adjust to the shape of dentures. At first, it may feel awkward and bulky to have the appliances in your mouth, but over time, you will become accustomed to the dentures.

Contact our dental practice for more information on whether dentures are right for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should a Parent accompany a child into the treatment room?

We’ve been asked:

Should a parent accompany a child into the treatment room?

Dentists frequently prefer that parents do not accompany children into the treatment room since they want to gain the child’s attention and establish control of the situation.

However, for the first visit, it can be comforting for the child to have a parent come along for the process of getting settled into the chair. Some children do much better with a parent there for support, while others may become unruly because they know they can manipulate their parents. Some parents just can’t relinquish their child to another’s care and may interfere unnecessarily, or they may distract the child with bribes, reprimands and conversation.

Mary Anne does like having parents in the room. But, she does prefer to establish one-to-one relationship with the child (as in asking parents to observe only).

Could you stay out of your child’s line of vision and don’t talk.

If your preschooler finds it comforting to hold your hand the dentist may agree to let you do this after the first 10 minutes

There may be some occasions when if treatment is not completed/not attended we are obliged to report this to other child providers.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr Mary Anne Costelloe BDS Dip.Clin
Dentist

Mary Anne has owned this practice for 25 years after purchasing it from Dr Kerry Hamilton/Dr David Haszard after working for Dentists in New Plymouth for 2 years. She has a Clinical Diploma is Paediatric Dentistry and prides herself providing an environment that is very child and Adult friendly, and wishes her patients to understand the treatments offered to them. Mary Anne has 4 adult children and 3 grandchildren