Missing teeth is a problem you can fix

Missing teeth change how you eat, how you speak, and how you feel about your own face. Gaps also let the teeth beside them drift, and the jaw bone under a gap slowly shrinks. A denture fills the space, gives your lips and cheeks their support back, and lets you chew a normal meal again.

Dr. Rachel Angeles and Dr. David Kim have restored smiles for patients in Buena Park, La Palma, Cypress, and La Mirada. Both doctors walk you through every option in plain language before anything is decided.

A full denture replaces every tooth in the upper jaw, the lower jaw, or both. It is removable. The base is shaped to your gums, so it holds by suction and by the shape of the ridge underneath.

We take impressions, check the bite, and try the teeth in wax first, so you can see the shape, size, and color before the final denture is made. If teeth still need to come out, ask us about an immediate denture that goes in the same day, so you are never without teeth in public.

Good fit for you if: most or all of the teeth in an arch are gone or cannot be saved, and you want the option with the fewest appointments.

What to expect: new dentures feel bulky for the first week or two, and your tongue needs time to learn them. Gums and bone keep changing shape over the years, so a denture that fits well at first will need relining or remaking later.

A partial denture fills the gaps when you still have healthy teeth worth keeping. The replacement teeth sit on a base that clips onto your own teeth, so it comes out for cleaning.

We make them in a few materials. A metal framework is thin and strong. An all acrylic partial is simpler. A flexible partial hides the clasps better, which matters if the gap shows when you smile. We show you the difference and tell you which one suits your bite.

Good fit for you if: you are missing a few teeth in the same arch and the teeth on either side of the gap are sound.

Why it matters: a partial stops the remaining teeth from tipping into the space, and it spreads chewing force across more teeth instead of a few.

An implant retained denture snaps onto implants placed in the jaw, so it does not lift when you bite into something firm. Most people notice the difference on the lower jaw first, because a lower denture has the least gum surface to hold on to.

Quinn Dental restores implant retained dentures. We take the impressions, fit the attachments, and make the denture that clips onto them. When implants need placing, we coordinate that with a surgeon and handle the restorative side from start to finish, so one team answers your questions.

Good fit for you if: you are done with denture adhesive, you want to eat without thinking about it, and you have enough bone for implants.

Care: the denture still comes out for cleaning, and the attachments wear over time and get replaced. That is routine maintenance, not a failure.

Bring your questions to the consultation, and bring your current denture if you have one. Seeing what is not working is often the fastest way to work out what will.

• Clean the denture every day with a soft brush and a cleaner made for dentures, not regular toothpaste, which is too abrasive.
• Take it out at night and keep it in water or a soaking solution so it does not dry out and warp.
• Brush your gums, tongue, and any remaining teeth. Gum tissue under a denture still needs cleaning.
• Rinse the denture after meals, and hold it over a folded towel or a sink of water while cleaning it so a slip does not crack it.
• Keep your checkups. We check the fit, the tissue underneath, and the bite, and reline or adjust before a sore spot turns into an ulcer.

General denture care guidance from the American Dental Association is at MouthHealthy.org. Nothing on this page replaces an exam. Your plan depends on what we see in your mouth.