Dentures
Dentures in Edison, NJ
Full and partial dentures, made to fit and then adjusted until they do. About four to six weeks from the first impression to wearing the finished denture.
- Full and partial dentures
- About four to six weeks
- Adjustments are part of it
- A quote before we start
What a denture is, and what it is not
A denture replaces teeth that are gone. A full denture replaces every tooth in an arch and rests on the gum and the ridge of bone underneath it. A partial replaces some of them and clasps onto the teeth you still have.
What it isn't is a fixed tooth. A denture comes out, it's held in place by fit rather than by roots, and it takes practice. Eating and speaking with one are skills, learned over a couple of weeks, not switches that flip on the day it goes in. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling. The upside is real all the same: a mouth that can chew a meal and a face that has its shape back.
Full or partial?
This is the only question on this page that changes what happens next, and it's usually decided by what's left rather than by preference.
| Material | Best for | What you are trading |
|---|---|---|
| Full denture | Best for: An arch where no teeth remain, or where the ones that do can't be saved. | Trade-off: Replaces everything at once. It rests on gum and bone, so stability depends on the shape of what's underneath, and eating takes the most practice. |
| Partial denture | Best for: Gaps where healthy teeth remain on either side. | Trade-off: Clasps onto your own teeth, so it holds more securely and stops the remaining teeth drifting into the gaps. It depends on those teeth staying healthy, and it comes out to be cleaned. |
Which one you'll probably get
If there are healthy teeth in the arch, we keep them and make a partial. A tooth you keep is worth more than a tooth we replace, every time, and the teeth that stay also hold the partial in place.
A full denture is the answer when the arch is empty or when what's left can't be saved. If that's the case, we'll say which teeth and why, and show you on the X-ray.
What happens if you wait
A gap doesn't stay a gap. The teeth either side lean into it, the tooth above or below drifts down into the space, and the bone where the root used to be shrinks away over the months and years after the tooth goes.
All three change the shape a denture has to fit. Waiting doesn't make the problem stay still; it makes the eventual denture fit a mouth that has moved.
What dentures cost
Dentures are billed as a major service, so most plans cover part of the cost rather than most of it, and many also set a frequency limit: a replacement allowed only once every several years. If you have had a denture before, that limit is worth knowing about before you plan a new one.
We verify your benefits with your carrier before the appointment, and we give you the cost before we start. Extractions, if any are needed first, are quoted with it rather than after it, so the number you hear is the number for the whole thing.
See the insurance we accept, or call (732) 985-1120 and we will verify your benefits before you come in.
How a denture gets made
Several visits over about four to six weeks. It isn't one appointment, and the reason is that each step is measured against the one before it.
We look at what's left
An exam and X-rays, and a straight account of which teeth can be saved and which can't. If anything has to come out first, that gets planned here rather than sprung on you later.
Digital Impressions
No more goopy impressions! We take a detailed digital scan of your mouth that is sent to a laboratory for custom design and fabrication of your denture.
A try-in, before anything is final
You usually see the teeth set in wax and try them in before the denture is finished. This is the moment to say that the teeth look too white, too big, or not like yours. Changing them now is routine; changing them afterwards isn't.
Fitting, and then adjustments
The finished denture goes in and we check the bite and look for pressure points. Expect a couple of adjustment visits after that. Every new denture presses somewhere, and the fix takes two minutes.
Will I have to go without teeth?
It depends on how many teeth are coming out and where they are, and we'll tell you which applies to you before anything is removed. Sometimes a denture can go straight in on the day of the extractions. Sometimes the gums need to heal first, because a denture fitted to a mouth that's still changing shape won't fit the mouth it settles into.
What we won't do is let you find out at the appointment. That conversation happens at the planning visit, when there's still time to decide differently.
The first two weeks, expect soft food, short meals and a lisp that fades. Reading out loud to yourself is the oldest trick there's for the speech part, and it works.
Living with it
Brush the denture every day with a soft brush, because plaque builds on acrylic exactly as it does on enamel. Take it out at night so the gums get a rest, and keep it in water when it's out, because acrylic dries and warps. Never rinse or soak it in hot water for the same reason.
If it rubs, come back. Don't file it yourself with a nail file or sandpaper. That's the fastest way to ruin a fit that a two-minute adjustment would have fixed, and we've seen it more than once. A sore spot is a normal part of the first few weeks and a five-minute appointment to correct; living with one for a month is not.
Reviewed by
Dr. Michael Lesnianski, DDS
Doctor of Dental Surgery, New York University College of Dentistry, graduated with Clinical Honors; residency at Woodhull Medical Center, Brooklyn.
Last reviewed
“Their expertise and attention to detail truly exceeded my expectations every step of the way.”
How long does it take to get dentures?
About four to six weeks from the first impression to wearing the finished denture, across several visits. The steps are sequential: each impression, try-in and adjustment is measured against the one before it, which is why it can't sensibly be compressed into one appointment. If teeth need to come out first, that adds healing time on top.
Will I have to go without teeth?
That depends on how many teeth are coming out and where they sit, and we'll tell you which applies before anything is removed. In some cases a denture goes in the same day as the extractions. In others the gums need to heal first, because a denture fitted to a mouth that's still changing shape won't fit the mouth it settles into.
Do dentures need adjusting?
Nearly always, and it isn't a sign that anything went wrong. A new denture presses on a spot or two once you start chewing on it, which is information nobody can have until you do. Expect a couple of short visits in the first weeks. Come in for them rather than living with a sore spot, and never adjust the denture yourself.
How do I clean a denture?
Brush it daily with a soft brush and take it out at night so your gums get a rest. Keep it in water while it's out, because acrylic dries out and warps. Never use hot water, which warps it faster. Your gums and tongue want brushing too, gently, on the days the denture is out.
Does insurance cover dentures?
Usually in part. Most plans treat dentures as a major service and cover a share of the cost, and most also limit how often a replacement is allowed, commonly once every several years. We check your specific benefits, including that frequency limit, with your carrier before the work starts.
Where to go next
Dental crowns
If a tooth can still be saved, saving it beats replacing it. Crowns and bridges are the first question we ask before this page becomes the answer.
Restorative dentistry
Extractions, root canals and the rest of what usually happens before a denture is made.
New patient special
Not a patient here yet? Start with an exam and X-rays, and we'll tell you what your options actually are.
Where to find us
Edison Dental Studio is at 96 Plainfield Ave, Edison, NJ 08817. The practice has cared for families in Edison for more than 50 years. You can reach us at (732) 985-1120.
- Monday
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Tuesday
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Wednesday
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Thursday
- Closed
- Friday
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Saturday
- 8 AM – 1 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Part of our restorative dentistry care.
Dentures in Edison, NJ
Come in and let us look at how we can bring back your smile and ability to eat better! We'll tell you what can be saved, what can't, and what replacing it involves, in that order.