If you are getting dentures for the first time, or even if you’ve had them for a while, the chances are good that you don’t know all the words to talk about or describe them Here are some terms that come in handy when talking to your dentist about your dentures.

Adjustment is any change your dentist might perform to improve the fit or function of your dentures.

Adhesive is another term your dentist might use for denture cream.

Anterior one of the four directions commonly used to describe position in your mouth. Anterior refers to the front of your mouth.

Arch refers to a row of teeth, either on the upper part of your mouth or the lower one.

Buccal one of the four directions commonly used to describe position in your mouth. Buccal means toward the cheek, such as the outside surface of your dentures that contacts your cheeks.

Denture Although many people only use dentures to refer just to full dentures (see below), denture can actually refer to any tooth replacement structure.

Denture Base refers to everything in the denture except the teeth.

Fixed Partial Denture another name for dental bridges.

Immediate Denture this is the denture you receive right after your final teeth are extracted. It is also sometimes called a healing denture because part of its job is to encourage healing of your mouth after teeth are removed.

Lingual one of the four directions commonly used to describe position in your mouth. Lingual refers to things that are close to your tongue.

Overdenture originally used just to describe dentures that were designed to fit over your natural teeth, the term has been expanded by some to refer to the use of dentures that fit over and are attached to dental implants.

Partial Denture vs. Full Denture a partial denture is designed to replace only some of your teeth on an arch. A full denture is used to replace an entire arch.

Posterior one of the four directions commonly used to describe position in your mouth. This refers to the back of your mouth.

Rebase is a type of denture adjustment in which your set of teeth is put on an entirely new denture base.

Reline is a type of denture adjustment in which the part of the denture that rests on your gums is resurfaced to improve fit.

Resorption is when your body removes bone from your jaw because it perceives the bone is no longer necessary now that the teeth are gone. This process can be accelerated by poor denture fit.

Ridge is the bone structure on your jaw that used to hold your teeth. It might also be called the alveolar ridge.

Settling is the process by which the fit of your dentures can change over time because of resorption. This process means that you will likely need several relines over the lifetime of a denture.

We Can Explain Your Dentures Clearly

Although knowing these words can help you talk about your dentures, you won’t need these or any other words to understand your dentures. At Rice Dentistry, we always strive to communicate clearly so that you always know your options for treatment.

And, just as important, we always take care to listen and make sure we understand what you want so we can give you the dentures you desire.

If you would like to talk to a dentist about dentures in Orange County, please call (949) 551-5902 for an appointment at Rice Dentistry in Irvine.