Frequently Asked Questions

A dental prosthetist is a type of dental technician that has an advanced education which allows them to be able to fabricate dentures and other removable appliances directly to the patient. Dental prosthetists are health practitioners regulated by AHPRA and the Dental Board of Australia who work independently and form a part of the wider dental team. 

Specifically, dental prosthetists specialise in fabricating and modifying conventional and implant retained dentures, custom-fitted mouthguards and a range of other removable prosthetics to offer a service that in most cases is more efficient and personalised than going to the dentist to have dentures made. 

Generally, a dental prosthetist should have vast experience and extensive knowledge as a dental technician before continuing to become a qualified dental prosthetist. Having your dentures made by an experienced dental prosthetist at The Denture Kitchen is a much more intimate experience as you, the patient, can have direct input to the outcome of all aspects of the final product, as a dental prosthetist is your direct link in having your dentures made face-to-face.

You can rest assured that The Denture Kitchen will provide the necessary aftercare required to complete the experience. 

Although working independently, your dental prosthetist will also work extremely closely with other dental practitioners as a team to identify and achieve successful outcomes for their patients.

The dental technician is an extremely important part of the dental team. 

The dental technician is the hands-on person behind the scenes who manufacture and fabricate most of the appliances planned and issued by your dentist as a majority of dentists don’t make dentures, or the physical appliances required for treatment themselves. A dental technician is required to fabricate the requested appliances for specific cases. They receive these cases from the dentist and has minimal face-to-face contact with the patient, therefore is limited by the information they receive from the dentist.

There are many facets or departments within the dental technician industry to manufacture dental appliances, mainly:

• Removable prosthetics/acrylic
• Crown & bridge
• Chrome frameworks
• Orthodontic
• & more recently: CADCAM technicians

While most dental technicians will have an underlying knowledge of most of these facets, a dental prosthetist will have an extremely deep understanding in the field of removable prosthetics.

A dental technician qualification is a prerequisite of becoming a dental prosthetist.

In addition to general dentistry, the dentist may diagnose, repair or remove broken or badly damaged teeth, place implants and perform oral health maintenance, amongst a variety of other treatments to get you ready for new dentures.

Your preferred dentist may still be able to treat you for new dentures. In this situation, the dentist directs treatment, takes records and impressions, and sends those records and instructions to the dental technician, where it may be possible for a breakdown in communication between the two. 

As dentures are being taught less and less at dental schools, the importance of the dental prosthetist is increased as dentures are what dental prosthetists specialise in!

Dentists often refer patients to The Denture Kitchen for dentures. Likewise, The Denture Kitchen will also refer patients to the dentist if poor oral health is observed which may affect your dentures, or if guidance is required to establish successful outcomes. 

Dental prosthetists will work closely with dentists and other colleagues to develop and carry out treatment plans for dentures. Therefore, a close prosthetist─dentist professional relationship is very important.

A dental prosthetist may not perform any invasive treatments such as tooth removal or fillings etc., which is why it is important to involve your preferred dentist early on in treatment if any treatment to tooth structure, for oral health maintenance, implant placement or tooth removal is required.

The Denture Kitchen is able to work with your preferred dentist or may be able to suggest a dentist if required to help guide your treatment. We can also help coordinate appointments to make the whole process easier for you! We also welcome patient referrals and will treat you, or your patients with the upmost care and attention you would expect.

It can take between 0–4 weeks for most people to get dentures, depending on the situation. For example, a much larger partial denture replacing 12 teeth and a cast framework will take much longer in comparison to a single tooth acrylic denture. Implant treatment may take longer to complete. 

If you have a special event coming up, make sure you allow more than enough time to have the dentures made and allow settlement.

Making new dentures before an extended overseas trip without allowing enough time for dentures to settle should be avoided where possible due to the settlement process and to allow time for adjustments.

The Denture Kitchen will endeavour to make every case a priority, though time and patience will be required for the duration. Dentures are an imperfect science, every case is different, and everything is handmade—so therefore much care and attention must be given to every patient. Rush cases can be requested and may only be approved upon circumstance.

At your appointment with The Denture Kitchen, we will allocate an amount of time which will be dedicated to treating you.

A denture is a removable appliance fabricated to artificially replace some, or all of your teeth. 

A denture made to replace some of your teeth is called a partial denture and may be made from a variety of different materials depending on the situation. A partial denture connects areas of missing teeth together using a base and in most cases are retained in the mouth using clasps (also referred to as retainers, or ‘clips’). Some partial dentures called ‘flippers’ or ‘snap-in’ dentures don’t use clasps and use the natural curvature of your teeth to click in to. A partial denture is removable. 

A denture made to replace all of your teeth is called a complete denture and is most commonly made from acrylic and incorporate high-quality acrylic denture teeth. Complete dentures get best results from well healed gums. An upper denture is held in the mouth with suction, a lower denture normally uses gravity to ‘float’ on the gums of your mouth. Lower dentures can be the most problematic. In some cases, suction may be achievable though relies on certain anatomical features for this to be attained. 

Any denture may be retained by implants and come in removable or fixed solutions. Lower dentures are a perfect example of the benefit of implant retained options to provide increased retention as complete lower dentures can be problematic. 

A denture made to replace teeth that are to be extracted is called an immediate denture and refers to either a partial or complete denture depending on the number of teeth that are being removed. Immediate dentures require ongoing maintenance until your gums are well healed.

Specific information about denture types can be found in the What We Do section of this website.

Advantages? 

Immediate dentures are a great treatment option as there is no waiting period between having your natural teeth removed, waiting for your gums to heal and waiting for the denture to be made. In short—you walk in to the dentist with your natural teeth and walk out with dentures. You won’t be left without teeth until your gums have stabilised to make dentures as the dentures are made before any tooth extraction occurs. 

Disadvantages?

There may be some educated guesswork involved with the way your dentures are produced—in most cases you may not be able to see the finished product until they are made and inserted in to your mouth. If we are making dramatic changes to your teeth or if there is excessive tooth wear or mobility, then your teeth may not 100% reach your expectation once finished. In some rare situations, these dentures may require replacement which may incur additional charges.

Though in most cases, seeing the immediate transition from having badly broken-down teeth, which may affect social aspects of life, to having a new set of teeth can have a dramatic, instant, sometimes emotionally positive result. Immediate dentures will generally require more attention after insertion. 

On top of general adjustments due to settlement, immediate dentures will require a lot more maintenance while in the healing period. Your mouth will go through a period of what we refer to as ‘rapid resorption’, meaning the gums will change shape from healing at a rapid rate. To put it simply, your gums will shrink. This will affect the way your dentures fit and therefore will generally require the dentures to be relined once the gums have settled—approximately 4–6 months after extraction.

Immediate dentures require more maintenance and modification as we ‘chase our tails’ with the dimensional changes and shrinkage that is occurring in your mouth due to the extracted teeth and removal of tooth roots. 

If there are problems with looseness within that period (and there will be), we can reline the dentures within the 4─6-month timeframe using a temporary soft reline material. Both temporary and permanent relines incur additional charges on top of the initial fabrication of the dentures as we cannot predict the rate of changes in your mouth.

Despite being called ‘temporary’ dentures, they are still fabricated from high-quality denture materials, and with regular maintenance, modification and relines, they may eventually be used as long-term conventional dentures if an acceptable initial outcome is achieved. They are slightly more expensive in comparison to a conventional denture due to the amount of additional work that is involved. 

Not one denture is made to last forever, so after stabilisation of the gums and when it comes time to eventually replace the dentures, you will have a ‘conventional denture’ fabricated. The process of making a conventional denture is very different in comparison to the process of an immediate denture, whereby we are able to look at the dentures and make any required changes at the ‘try-in’ stage before finishing them.

Immediate dentures may also be used as an interim while implants are healing. The denture is a short-term solution and will become redundant once your implants are finally restored.

There are different materials available for partial dentures depending on the situation—each with advantages, such as:

• Acrylic Partial Dentures
• Cost-effective denture
• Enhances self-esteem & confidence
• Generally larger & thicker to improve strength but can feel more cumbersome & harder to tolerate
• Easy to modify, reline & add teeth
• Great for patients with continuing oral health problems
• Great for immediate dentures
• Great for cases where denture design can be compromised from reduced efficiency due to cohesion
• Generally tissue borne, which may reduce comfort
• 0–2-week turnaround in most cases
• Generally uses wrought, or hand-bent metal retainers/clips over the natural teeth to be retained
• Retainers may be visible in some cases
• Retainers may not be required in some cases

• Cobalt Chrome/Metal Partial Dentures
• Superior denture
• Thinner, stronger design as the major connecting unit is predominantly made from metal
• Due to a metal framework, decreased size improves comfort & overall tolerance
• Front teeth include strengthening pins running through the centre of each tooth, increasing the strength of each tooth individually
• Enhances self-esteem & confidence
• Generally made for patients with healthy dentition & gums, though can occasionally be used as an immediate denture
• Tooth borne design to increase comfort
• Great solution for cases with limited inter-occlusal space requiring increased strength
• Can still be added to in most cases, though charges may increase slightly.
• Retainers are a cast component of the frame, making the clasps better fitting & more rigid
• Retainers may be visible in some cases, though may be able to be hidden in some cases
• Smaller design can be more hygienic
• Generally, not suitable for patients with poor oral health
• 2–3-week turnaround in most cases
• Slightly more expensive, though in most cases the benefits & comfort of a chrome denture far outweigh the cost

• Flexible/Metal-free
• There are many brands of flexible partial denture materials available, such as Valplast, FRS, TCS & acetal resin.
• Usually fabricated from an injected nylon material
• Virtually indestructible
• Retainers are generally flexible ‘wings’ that encompass & flex over some of the remaining teeth
• Completely metal-free
• Denture base can be made from pink or tooth coloured material to enhance aesthetics
• Not indicated for patients with poor oral health
• Cannot be added to, modified or relined
• Should be made on well-healed gums
• Enhances self-esteem & confidence
• Suitable for smaller dentures, such as single tooth replacements
• Costs similar to a chrome denture

• and a more recently developed material—PEEK
• Polyether ether ketone
• High performance polymer
• Medical-grade material
• Alternative to chrome denture
• CAD-CAM designed & milled
• Flexible
• Lightweight
• Metal-free
• Neutral taste
• Can be made in pink or tooth-coloured materials
• High biocompatibility
• Increased costs

It is recommended that conventional dentures fabricated on stabilised, well-healed gums will generally last anywhere between 8–10 years. Despite significant advancements in denture tooth compositions, dentures do inevitably slowly wear out over time with regular use, and your mouth is also everchanging. Proper maintenance and hygiene care will help your dentures last longer. If your denture teeth are worn, you will more than likely require a new set. If your dentures feel a bit loose, then a reline may be a cost-effective way to add to the longevity of your dentures.

Immediate dentures may require replacing much earlier than conventional dentures. Some dentures are made as an interim treatment while an implant for a single tooth is healing. Once your single tooth implant is restored by your dentist, the denture will become redundant.

There are a wide variety of reasons why your dentures may become loose and, in most cases, can be improved. If your dentures are loose, they will generally need to be relined as some amount of change may have occurred in your mouth. 

These changes will create space between your dentures and your gums which can affect the fit, comfort, stability and strength of your dentures. Space underneath your dentures may cause an area of ‘flex’ and your dentures may break suddenly or disrupt the complete seal we are trying to achieve with dentures for suction.

You may require a reline if your:

• Upper denture feels loose
• If you are getting excessive amounts of food in or under your denture
• If you are beginning to get soreness on your lower denture
• If your partial denture has instability
• If you have broken your denture suddenly
• If you have recently had teeth extracted

A reline will fill in the free space between your gums and where your denture was originally made. An impression on the inside of your existing denture will be required to record the free space. The Denture Kitchen will then replace and convert the impression material with acrylic to fill in any spaces, improving the overall fit of your dentures.

Ideally, a morning appointment is preferred to be able to return your dentures by the end of the day. The Denture Kitchen can offer advice whether a reline is suitable for your circumstance. More detailed information can be found in the reline information form which can be found on the patient information section of this website. 

Make an appointment with The Denture Kitchen for an assessment so you can have dentures that fit again!

A scheduled, face-to-face consultation is imperative in the early stages of assessing your situation. In most cases, a verbal quote can be given at your consultation, which is generally close to the final amount. Impressions may be required to help develop an accurate quote which usually can be taken at the consultation appointment. Once preliminary impressions are taken and assessed a definitive written quote can be issued.

Your dentures will be quoted based on denture type and complexity, which unfortunately makes offering a transparent pricing schedule for every denture difficult. Every single set of dentures are like a fingerprint—as each mouth is different, each denture is different, and each denture is 100% handmade on-site or locally. A base fee for most denture types is adhered to, though will be assessed on the individual situation, characteristics, and requests.

The Denture Kitchen offers payment plans from many leading lenders to take the financial stress out of getting new dentures.

Denture modifications such as relines, tooth additions, and complex repairs will also be quoted once an examination has taken place at a consultation to determine a suitable treatment.

If you are thinking about an implant retained denture, come in and see us first to help.

The Denture Kitchen can coordinate the appropriate appointments for implant retained dentures at your consultation. We can refer you to a suitable dentist and help guide you through the process, where a consultation from the dentist to quote on the placement of implants as there are many considerations for this treatment. The Denture Kitchen does not place implants—we restore dentures on implants that have already been placed. Dentures will be quoted per case.

Prices for mouthguards start at $150. Special club deals may be available—make sure you mention your sports club when you make your appointment. If you want to know how much rebate you may receive from your health fund, the code for a mouthguard is 151.

If you are under severe financial hardship and have fallen on hard times, then in some situations you may be able to access superannuation early with an early release of superannuation (ERS) on compassionate grounds. With this very strictly regulated option, The Denture Kitchen may be able to assist you through the process, though it is strongly recommended you seek advice from a financial expert if you are considering this option.

https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Super/Withdrawing-and-using-your-super/Early-access-to-your-super/

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/early-release-superannuation/how-apply

With all dentures, practice makes perfect. Having dentures made may have an immediate improvement, though in some situations your dentures may take some more patience and attention to adapt to. 

As no two sets of dentures are exactly alike, your replacement dentures may work, fit and act differently to your previous dentures, and of course you may have a different experience to that of another person. You may have to consistently practice wearing them and using them, so keep eating, drinking and talking as much as possible. Dentures may increase saliva flow, which should return to normal within a few days.

Allow your dentures time to settle. As your dentures settle, be prepared for some amount of fine tuning and minor adjustments to your new dentures as these are always expected. 

Rest assured, The Denture Kitchen will provide aftercare and support once your dentures are issued as you are always welcome to return. The Denture Kitchen offers unlimited free adjustments for 6 months.

Dentures are designed to improve function and the ability to eat, though they may affect your diet in some ways. Sticky foods such as chewing gum and some very hard foods may be difficult to chew, but once you adjust to the new dentures you should be able to eat most things. Over time, you will identify the foods you can eat easily and successfully, and which foods you may have to manage or avoid. 

Hard, brittle foods such as pork crackle, chocolate out of the freezer, chewing on lamb chop bones, hard nuts etc. should be eaten with an extreme amount of caution as they are at high risk of breaking your dentures. Fruits with small seeds such as strawberries are high offenders for seeds getting underneath your dentures which may be unavoidable even with the best fitting denture. Even a small seed can feel like a huge rock underneath your denture. In some instances, more likely with partial dentures food may get caught in them—this is to be expected and may be unavoidable.

Practicing good food management is important, i.e. choosing softer foods and eating smaller pieces, for example: cutting apples in to pieces instead of biting them or cutting kernels from corn instead of eating them off the cob.

Dentures may actually improve your speech as they support the lips and gums which create certain phonetic sounds, particularly in large partial dentures and complete dentures. Dentures can fill spaces of missing teeth which in most situations are paramount on creating the shapes required of the mouth for certain phonetic sounds. 

If you are having your first denture fitted, or if we are making certain changes in comparison to your previous dentures, then it will likely take a little time for you to get used to speaking with dentures as they are a foreign object inside of your mouth. It may take some time and patience, but with practice you should adapt to them.

Your new dentures can be modelled to look like natural, real teeth. There’s no reason that you have to look different with a new set of dentures, and there’s no reason that you have to look the same—it’s entirely up to you! We are able to model new dentures to remain consistent with your previous dentures. We can also mimic any old pictures you might have, or you can allow The Denture Kitchen to use our creativity to design a smile that you will love! If you’re having teeth removed, it’s a great opportunity to request any concerns or changes you might like to make, and we’ll do our best to make your smile come to life!

Regular hygiene and denture maintenance is of paramount importance to keeping your dentures looking great. General hygiene of natural teeth is strongly advised. Once you receive your new dentures you will be given thorough denture aftercare information, though we understand that sometimes we need a little bit of ‘brushing up’ on how to keep them clean.

For all dentures:

• It’s important to always remember to remove your dentures from your mouth to clean them.
• Don’t use toothpaste, instead you can use diluted liquid dishwashing detergent to manually. Why? Because using toothpaste on your dentures is too harsh and abrasive for the material in which your denture is fabricated from—acrylic, which will wear over time.
• Treat your dentures like you would your natural teeth and brush them gently twice daily.
• Rinse your dentures regularly after eating.
• Make sure to always handle your dentures with care. When brushing over the sink you may like to partially fill your sink with water or lay down a folded kitchen cloth to protect your dentures from any impact and breakages if you happen to accidentally drop them.
• On top of this you should incorporate using a denture tablet in the cleaning regime to maintain antibacterial hygiene EVERYDAY. Follow the instructions on the packet of your preferred denture tablet product.
• Make sure you’re going for regular maintenance and check-ups with your preferred dentist or The Denture Kitchen.
• Remove your dentures at night and soak them in plain, cold water or denture tablet.

In addition to the above information, if you have remaining natural teeth and have a partial denture:

• As it may be undesirable to use liquid dishwashing liquid and toothpaste with the same brush, have 2 toothbrushes.
• With the first toothbrush, make sure you maintain your oral health of your natural dentition by regular brushing using toothpaste, mouthwash and flossing regularly with check-ups and cleaning by a dental professional.
• With the second toothbrush, we recommend manual cleaning and scrubbing using a mild soap such as diluted liquid dishwashing soap to brush the build-up which accumulates on your dentures with general everyday use.
• Also incorporate the above information for an overall guide.

The Denture Kitchen will give you thorough denture after care information upon issue of your new dentures. You can also find an aftercare form in the patient forms section of this website.

Short answer—generally, yes you should. It will give your gums time to rest without the dentures in, and it also provides a chance for your mouth to stay hygienic for the time period when you don’t necessarily need to use your dentures. It may provide time for you to soak your dentures with a denture cleaning tablet, depending on the brand of tablet you choose to use. Of course, there may be some exceptions in taking your dentures out and leaving them in, such as social settings or personal reasons. The Denture Kitchen will help advise the best option for your situation and circumstance.

For the lowest maintenance solution to storing spare dentures, we suggest cleaning them thoroughly first then storing them for extended periods of time in the freezer. If you are required to use these dentures again, it’s important to thaw them out to room temperature before use. 

For short-term storage, you may store your dentures in liquid (plain water) to prevent drying as dry dentures are more prone to warping or breaking. You can use a denture storage box or sandwich bag. If you are to use this method, then you should keep an eye on the liquid levels to prevent drying and change the water regularly to maintain hygiene. 

If these options are not appropriate for your situation and you are storing your dentures for the long term without usage, then store them dry and a cool, safe place.

Be sure to get in contact with The Denture Kitchen or your dentist as soon as possible to make a priority appointment. In the interim, if the pain is too unbearable you may leave your dentures out as much as possible and rinse your mouth with warm saltwater. If you have new dentures and are unable to return to The Denture Kitchen, you may also return to using your previous dentures for the interim. 

Please note, if you remove your dentures or return to your previous set, for us to be able to accurately identify soreness, the dentures will need to be put back in the mouth at least 24 hours before your appointment.

Some amount of persistence is required for new dentures to allow settlement, though ongoing unbearable pain should be seen to immediately.

Generally, anyone with partial or full dentures can use adhesive to improve the hold and help the dentures stay firmly in place if required. Denture adhesives may be used to enhance satisfaction of wearing a denture in a number of situations. 

Denture adhesive is a fantastic solution while in the healing period for an immediate denture or for added security for a complete lower denture. Adhesives can improve adherence for patients that suffer from dry mouth.

There are a wide variety of brands and applications of denture adhesives which can be bought from most supermarkets and pharmacies. 

If your dentures are properly fitted, you shouldn’t necessarily need adhesive as it isn’t a solution for poorly fitted dentures.

Proper use and application of denture adhesives can be discussed with The Denture Kitchen.

No, referrals are not required. Appointments are required. Walk-ins are welcome, though appointments made over the phone are preferred. The Denture Kitchen can provide referral letters to other allied health professionals if additional services are required, i.e. dentists, prosthodontists, etc. All health funds are accepted. 

There are health funds available that cover removable dental prosthetics and other appliances depending on your choice of health provider, level of cover and amount limits you have reached. The Denture Kitchen accepts all health funds.

At your consultation we will assess your circumstance and advise Health Fund item codes to best suit your situation.

All health fund transactions can be processed at The Denture Kitchen.

The Denture Kitchen’s payment policy is that payment must be made upon completion of treatment at the final appointment, unless otherwise discussed and agreed upon. You may be asked for a deposit throughout treatment, though this will be discussed if required.

If finance is required, we offer a range of payment services such as DentiCare, SuperCare, Afterpay, ZipPay, and Humm. More information about these services can be found on the payment plan section of this website or speak to us to discuss your options. 

Merchant facilities are available to pay with EFTPOS and HICAPS. EFTPOS cards normally carry a $1000 a day limit, so be sure you check your limit prior to your final appointment if necessary, and confirm the PIN and account are correct before your appointment to avoid delay. Cash sales are accepted.

The Denture Kitchen does not offer lay-by, in-house payment plans or personal finance. If finance is required, we offer a range of payment services such as Afterpay, ZipPay, and Humm. More information about these services can be found on the payment plan section of this website.

Merchant facilities are available to pay with EFTPOS and HICAPS. EFTPOS cards normally carry a $1000 a day limit, so be sure you check your limit prior to your final appointment if necessary, and confirm the PIN and account are correct before your appointment to avoid delay. Cash sales are accepted.

DON’T SUPERGLUE THEM! Bring them straight in to The Denture Kitchen to have them repaired. Superglue is not as strong as a professionally repaired denture with acrylic, which is the same material that your denture is fabricated in. Superglue is also toxic. Your denture will likely break again if superglued. If superglued incorrectly, or superglued numerous times this may change the shape and accurate fit of your dentures and may increase the costs of having your dentures repaired back to their original state.