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Dentures Rockville MD

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A Little Denture History

Many of us have memories of grandparents, or great-grandparents whose dentures (or “false teeth”) sat at their bedsides at night. And anyone who has spent time watching television has seen plenty of ads for various products made to clean them (regular toothpaste is too harsh for dentures) or hold them firmly in place while you’re eating apples or corn on the cob. 


A widely familiar part of dentistry, the effort to replace missing teeth with various devices has been going on for close to 3,000 years. Dentures as we know them today, however, date back to a wood-based process of 16th century Japan in which wooden dentures were created based on mold impressions of a patient’s mouth. 


In the 1700s, western practitioners began experimenting with various metal mechanisms for holding artificial teeth that were carved from such sources as animal bone and ivory. 


Dentures are such a part of world culture that they’ve even made their mark on U.S. presidential history. If you visit Mount Vernon, the home of President George Washington, you can actually see a famous set of false teeth that he is known to have worn. 

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"This team has changed my life for the better! I came in for a third opinion after having been told that dentures was my only option. I was instead provided an education on treatment options and embraced with understanding as I processed the information. Each and every touch point in my dental journey to wholeness has been positive, professional, caring, and personal. I encourage anyone who is nervous, unsure or procrastinating to visit StarBrite Dental for an evaluation. It is well worth your time. Taking care of my oral health has had a positive impact on my overall health and I am incredibly grateful!"
- Michelle L.
★★★★★

The Basics

Dentures are removable dental appliances that are used when all or most of the upper or lower teeth are missing due to gum disease, tooth decay or physical trauma. A denture consists of artificial teeth, set in a base that is colored to look like gum tissue. The teeth can be made of a composite resin or of porcelain. Given the danger of porcelain breaking should the denture be dropped, most contemporary dentures feature teeth made from a strong composite resin. The base into which the teeth are set is made of plastic. If your dentist feels that there is a danger of the denture cracking in the course of normal use the plastic may be molded over a supporting piece of metal. Should you need dentures, your StarBrite dentist will guide you through choosing what materials are best for your situation. 

The Types of Dentures

There are essentially two types of dentures, and they have self-explanatory names: 

  • Full Dentures

    A complete set of artificial teeth created to be as close to the shape and size of a patient’s original teeth as possible.

  • Partial Dentures

    Used in cases where there are still a few healthy teeth in the area to be filled, they fit into the mouth but around the healthy teeth, giving them support. 

  • Hybrid Dentures

    Hybrid dentures combine the security of dental implants and the comfort of dentures to create a fixed and natural smile. Hybrid dentures, unlike traditional removable dentures that are attached to dental implants surgically implanted into the jawbone, are securely anchored. This design offers superior support, preventing issues such as slipping and discomfort common with traditional dentures. Hybrid dentures can be used by patients who are missing most or all their teeth, but still want to have a reliable and permanent option. These hybrid dentures not only restore functionality and aesthetics but also maintain jawbone health through prevention of bone loss.

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A Word About “Permanent" Dentures

The term “permanent denture” is used as a way to describe various ways of securing a denture in place. In most cases, the term refers to full or partial dentures that are held in place by attaching them to dental implants (titanium anchors that are literally screwed into the jaw). The level of “permanence” depends largely on how many implants are use. Dentures secured by, for instance, only two implants may still be relatively easily removed, depending on how the denture is secured to the implant

What a Denture Procedure Is Like

It took a while for your teeth to grow in the first place, so expect the same for your dentures—not quite as much time, but it takes more than just picking out a set of teeth and popping them in! You can expect four or five visits over the course of a few months. Here’s a general, four-step idea of what to expect:

  • Step 1: Preparation

    We’ll need to prepare your mouth. Whether you’re getting a full or partial denture, there will be teeth to extract before we can do anything else. If there are any issues with mouth tissue or bone shape that could interfere with properly positioning your dentures, this would be the time to take care of that, as well.


    Extractions and gum surgery are routine procedures but they are also very traumatic experience for the mouth. Depending on how many teeth are extracted, how much surgery is required to remove them and how extensive any other preparatory procedures are, your mouth may need up to several weeks in order to heal properly before continuing the process. 

  • Step 2: Initial Impressions

    Once you have healed from your extractions and any additional oral surgery required, we will take impressions of the upper and lower portions of your mouth, as well as some careful measurements. The dental lab will need all of this information in order to be sure that your denture will align and interact properly with the teeth above or below it. This is also when we would discuss the size, shape and shading of the teeth in your denture.

  • Step 3: Wax Try In

    After the dental lab has fabricated your teeth, they’ll be set into wax molds made to the dimensions measured at previous appointments. This step helps to make sure the measurements used in making your denture work as well in practice as they do on paper. If the wax version of the denture doesn’t sit properly, adjustments will need to be made to your measurements and forwarded to the dental lab.

  • Step 4: Final Delivery

    Once your denture is completed and the dental lab delivers it to your dentist, you’ll be brought in for an appointment during which your dentist will carefully position the denture and make any final adjustments necessary for it to feel comfortable and interact properly with your other teeth. This usually involves shaving off a bit of the “gum” portion of the denture to make it rest better in a certain area.

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"Starbrite dental is fantastic everyone is so nice and friendly. I have MS and been doing steroid therapy for about 10 years.I was having problems with my teeth breaking ,cracking and becoming loose.So I needed a cosmetic dentist.I looked around found 3 places to go and they all suggested dentures which I did not want had significant bone loss in my jaw.I started looking around again and found starbrite dental made an appointment had x rays done.Then sat down with Dr.Seifi and we talked about what I wanted and what could be done and came up with a plan for my teeth that I could afford. I'm very happy with my teeth. Dr.Seifi is fantastic and the staff too. Hopefully she will be my dentist for life . She is so sweet ! I highly suggest that you give them a try.  "
- Michael S.
★★★★★

Keeping Dentures in Line

In the future, odds are good that you’ll need to visit your dentist for additional adjustments. Just because you’ve replaced all or most of the teeth in one portion of your mouth doesn’t mean the rest of your teeth and mouth won’t continue to undergo changes. Such changes can affect the position of healthy teeth in relation to your denture, which can require adjusting the position of your denture. A readjustment is the procedure for adjusting the base of a denture to suit the changing contours of the mouth so it fits as comfortably as possible.

Because we know that an adjustment is going to be needed to make sure your denture fits just right, every StarBrite Dental denture comes with three readjustments at no cost to you.

Read More About Dentures in Our Blogs

young boy smiling

Recommended Tooth Replacement Options

By StarBrite Dental • December 5, 2018
Recommendations for the most beneficial options to restore and complete your beautiful and fully functional smile from StarBrite Dental in Rockville, Maryland.

Improving Your Quality of Life with Dental Implants 

By StarBrite Dental • July 18, 2017
When it comes to replacing missing teeth, Dr. Maryam Seifi recommends dental implants to those patients who are candidates for the procedure.

Tired of Denture Problems?

By StarBrite Dental • January 18, 2017
A groundbreaking advancement in dental technology is now changing the lives of denture wearers for the better with implant-supported dentures. To understand this procedure, it’s helpful to understand how implants work.
View all Blogs

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