Removable Partial Dentures
Post-Operative Care

We have done our best to provide you with well-fitted, functional and esthetic removable partial dentures. We are confident that you will have years of satisfaction and use from them.

• The First Few Weeks: New partial dentures always feel strange when first placed in your mouth. Several days or even a few weeks will be required for you to feel accustomed to them.
• Sore Spots: Usually your mouth will have a few “sore spots” after wearing the dentures for 24 hours. Don’t worry about these areas. They can be relieved during your next appointment. Another appointment about 7 days later will usually eliminate any other sore areas.
• Chewing: The new bite may not feel completely comfortable for a period of days. We will adjust the contacting surfaces of your teeth in 24 hours and again about one week after the dentures have settled into place.
• Cleaning the Partial and Your Mouth: Your partial dentures can be cleaned by using a soft bristle toothbrush and a mild toothpaste or regular hand soap. Use special care to clean the parts of the partial denture that contact any natural teeth. Both the partial denture and the natural teeth must be kept very clean on a daily basis to reduce the chance of new dental decay starting. Use fluoride-containing toothpaste for the natural teeth.
• Soaking: Soaking your partial denture can be very useful. Brush your gums with a regular toothbrush once per day to toughen and clean them. In order to let the tissues rest, leave the partial out of your mouth and soak it in water overnight.
• The Future: Your jaw bones and gums shrink up to 1/32 of an inch per year when your teeth are missing. This shrinkage is one of the main disadvantages of artificial dentures. Because of this shrinkage, you should plan to have your dentures and oral tissues evaluated by us at least once every 6 months. We will inform you when refitting the partial denture is necessary. Wearing an ill-fitting partial denture for too long without refitting can cause severe bone loss and serious oral diseases.

If you have any questions, please call our office.