Dentures in Alexandria, VA

Custom dentures designed for a secure fit, natural appearance, and improved confidence.

Reclaim Your Smile with Custom, Comfortable Dentures

Losing several or all of your teeth due to trauma, severe gum disease, or extensive decay can be a devastating experience. It affects your ability to eat your favorite foods, speak clearly, and smile with confidence. It can also cause the muscles in your face to sag, making you look older than you are.

At Bright Whites Dental in Franconia, Alexandria, VA, we understand the profound impact of tooth loss. We offer high-quality, custom-crafted dentures designed to replace missing teeth, restore your facial volume, and help you reclaim your quality of life. Modern dentures are more comfortable, durable, and natural-looking than ever before.

Types of Dentures We Offer

We provide a variety of denture options tailored to meet your specific needs, depending on how many teeth you are missing and your lifestyle preferences.

Complete (Full) Dentures

Complete dentures are used when all of the teeth in either the upper or lower arch (or both) are missing. They consist of a flesh-colored acrylic base that fits snugly over your gums, supporting a full set of natural-looking artificial teeth.

  • Conventional Full Dentures: These are placed in your mouth after any remaining teeth have been extracted and the gum tissue has fully healed (which can take several months).
  • Immediate Full Dentures: These are made in advance and placed immediately after the remaining teeth are extracted. This means you will not have to be without teeth during the healing period. However, because bones and gums shrink as they heal, immediate dentures will require relining or adjustments later to maintain a proper fit.

Partial Dentures

Partial dentures are used when you still have some healthy natural teeth remaining in the upper or lower jaw. A partial denture consists of replacement teeth attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base, which is sometimes connected by a metal framework that holds the denture in place in the mouth. Partial dentures not only fill in the spaces created by missing teeth but also prevent your remaining natural teeth from shifting out of position.

Implant-Supported Dentures

For the ultimate in stability and comfort, we offer implant-supported dentures (often called "overdentures"). Instead of resting solely on the gums, these dentures snap securely onto dental implants that have been surgically placed in the jawbone. This prevents the dentures from slipping or clicking while eating or speaking and helps preserve the jawbone.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Whether you are due for a checkup or exploring your treatment options, our team is here to help. Schedule your visit today and get the care you need in a comfortable, straightforward setting.

The Process of Getting Dentures

Creating a set of custom dentures that fit perfectly and look natural requires several appointments over a few weeks.

  • Impressions and Measurements: We will take a series of highly accurate impressions of your jaw and take measurements of how your jaws relate to one another and how much space is between them.
  • Creating Models: We will create models, wax forms, and/or plastic patterns in the exact shape and position of the denture to be made.Try-In: You will "try in" this model several times. We will assess the color, shape, and fit before the final denture is cast.
  • Final Placement: Once the final denture is ready, we will place it in your mouth and make any necessary adjustments to ensure a comfortable fit and a proper bite.

Frequently Asked Questions

New dentures may feel a little odd or loose for a few weeks until the muscles of your cheeks and tongue learn to keep them in place and you get comfortable inserting and removing them. It is also normal to experience minor irritation or soreness and increased saliva flow when you first start wearing them, but these problems will diminish as your mouth adjusts.

Eating with new dentures will take a little practice and may be uncomfortable for some wearers for a few weeks. To get used to the new denture, start with soft foods cut into small pieces. Chew slowly using both sides of your mouth. As you become used to your new dentures, add other foods until you return to a normal diet. Be cautious with hot or hard foods and sharp-edged bones or shells.

After getting dentures, you may have difficulty pronouncing certain words. If so, practice by reading out loud and repeating the troublesome words. With practice, you will become accustomed to speaking properly with your denture. If your dentures "click" while you're talking, contact our office.

Proper denture care is essential for their longevity and your oral health. You should remove and gently brush your dentures daily with a soft-bristled brush and a non-abrasive denture cleanser to remove food deposits and plaque. When you are not wearing your dentures, they should be placed in water or a mild denture-soaking solution to keep them from drying out and losing their shape. Never use hot water, as it can warp the plastic.

Yes! Even if you have no natural teeth left, it is crucial to visit Bright Whites Dental for regular check-ups. We need to examine your gums and oral tissues for signs of disease or oral cancer, and we need to check the fit of your dentures. Over time, your mouth naturally changes shape, which can cause your dentures to become loose and require a "reline" or adjustment.

While you can sleep in your dentures, it is highly recommended that you remove them at night. Removing them gives your gums and jawbone a chance to rest from the pressure of the denture during the day and helps prevent fungal infections in the mouth.