Equilibrated Dentures: Making It Easier To Chew
It is extremely important that an upper and lower denture function as two units harmoniously in relation to the joint movement to prevent the dentures from rocking or tipping while chewing or biting into food. If teeth are set in centric position (open and close position only) this can lead to problems with chewing, constant soreness of gums, feeling of looseness, excessive food collecting under the dentures.
Equilibrated means the denture teeth are arranged to function smoothly following the path of the jaw as a patient goes through the chewing process. The denture teeth placement allows for a grinding side and on the opposite side the teeth will have a balanced contact.
Get the Perfect Fit for Your Bite
At Saskatoon Denture Clinic we feel everyone should receive the highest quality care. We only use high-quality teeth and acrylic. We never compromise on the procedures to ensure a patient has received the best treatment plan for them.
Harmony between upper and lower dentures
Upper and lower dentures need to work well together. If they don’t, they will rock or tip while chewing or biting into food. It gets worse, with things like gum soreness and food buildup on the list of undesirable side effects. Loose dentures feel awful, but that’s where equilibrated dentures come in.
Equilibrated dentures are unique to the individual wearing them. They are also known as precision dentures because they are a precise fit for the wearer.
Built from accurate jaw records
The secret to making an equilibrated denture set is accurate jaw records. The denturist uses these records to reconstruct the client’s smile. Accurate jaw records allow the dental team to arrange the teeth so they will fit and work well together.
Simplified Denture Definitions
Heath professionals use terms that mean nothing to almost anyone else. There are plenty of them thrown around denture clinics. We want to help you understand a few of them so you can make sense of these diagrams.
- Occlusion
- how the upper and lower teeth touch (an overbite is one kind of occlusion)
- Centric Occlusion
- how the top and bottom teeth fit together when at rest
- Working Occlusion
- how the top and bottom teeth fit together on the side of the mouth that is chewing
- Balanced Occlusion
- how dentures fit together on the side that isn’t chewing
- Protrusive Balance
- how the front teeth fit together to keep the dentures in place
Precision dentures don’t wobble and tip
Precision dentures have a few unique features that keep them stable. These dentures are not fixed into the gums so they need another way to prevent them from tipping. When the wearer chews on the side of his mouth, the other side locks together and keeps the dentures stable. This is something denturists call balanced occlusion. The teeth look like normal teeth but have been designed for an extra task: they have to keep each other in place.
Find out more
We make equilibrated dentures at our clinic and are able to answer any questions about them. Our contact info is at the bottom of the page. We invite you to get in touch.