How Are Dentures Made?

UNDERSTAND WHAT GOES INTO MAKING DENTURES

You’ve gotten your extractions and the dentist has taken impressions of your mouth. But what happens while you’re waiting for your new dentures? Here’s what goes into the process of making dentures.

Make a Model

A plaster model of your mouth is made using the impressions your dentist took.

Place in Articulator

The model is placed on an articulator—a mechanical device used to represent the jaw—so that the technician can attach your chosen teeth with wax.

Carve Wax

The technician shapes and carves the wax to represent the way your gums would look. This is what the base of your finished dentures will look like.

Set in Flask

The dentures are placed in a holding device called a flask. More plaster is poured in to maintain the shape of the dentures, and the flask is then placed in boiling water to melt away the wax.

Inject Acrylic

Any leftover wax is rinsed away. The technician paints a liquid separator onto the plaster so the acrylic doesn’t stick to it. Acrylic is then injected into the flask to replace the wax and cured.

Remove Plaster

Using special lab tools, the technician carefully breaks off the plaster mold. The dentures are then placed in an ultrasonic bath to ensure all remnants of plaster are removed.