As you are working you must educate the patient, especially if this is the first denture. Even with good remaining bone, the denture is never as good as natural teeth. More likely there is a deleted ridge which means less stability. The age and motor skills of the patient will also be a factor. The denture patient who expects to eat steak and corn on the cob will actually be eating chopped steak and creamed corn.

Some women will feel that the denture (if it is plumped up a little) will fill out the face and decrease wrinkles. A face-lift may do that, not a denture. They may show you a wedding picture that is thirty years old just to show you how their teeth used to look. They also want to look like the picture.

Your education of the patient can take place over the course of treatment with casual remarks. However, there must a clear objective in your mind. Your instructor can help you.

©1999 by Julius Rosen, D.D.S.