- NHS and private
- Same-day emergencies
- Published fees
- One team, three practices
Modern Dentures Done Properly
The dentures most people picture are not the dentures we make today.
Read more: Modern Dentures Done Properly
Modern materials, accurate digital impressions, and careful clinical planning produce appliances that fit comfortably, look natural, and let patients eat normally. The difference between a denture that works and a denture the patient gives up on is mostly in the fit, and the fit is determined at the impression stage, not the day the denture is fitted.
We provide full and partial dentures in three material types under NHS and private routes across our practices: acrylic, flexible, and cobalt-chrome dentures. The NHS covers any clinically necessary denture.
What Dentures Do
A denture replaces missing teeth and the surrounding gum tissue with a removable appliance.
Read more: What Dentures Do
A full denture sits on the underlying ridge; a partial denture attaches to the remaining natural teeth using clasps or precision attachments.
The denture restores chewing function, supports the cheeks and lips (which collapse inward when teeth are missing), and provides natural-looking front teeth for speaking and smiling.
The trade-off compared to fixed alternatives (bridges, implants) is removability. Dentures come out for cleaning, sleeping, and sometimes during eating. They sit on the gum surface rather than being anchored in bone, which means the underlying ridge gradually resorbs over years. The trade-off is offset by lower cost, less invasive treatment, and the ability to replace many missing teeth at once.
Denture Treatment Across Minti Dental Group
We deliver denture work across our practices, using identical materials and protocols at every site.
Read more: Denture Treatment Across Minti Dental Group
The denture pathway is delivered by the dentist with the support of an experienced denture technician at the laboratory.
Cases that need clinical complexity (severe ridge resorption, immediate dentures placed at extraction, implant-retained dentures) are co-managed across the dental and laboratory teams.
Choosing a Denture Material
Different denture materials suit different clinical situations.
Acrylic dentures
Traditional material, medical-grade acrylic resin base with teeth set in. Easy to repair, easy to add additional teeth to over time, economical. Slightly bulkier than alternatives, particularly noticeable on upper full dentures. Available privately.
Flexible (Flexite) dentures
Made from a flexible thermoplastic resin. Used primarily for partial dentures where flexibility allows clasps to flex around natural teeth without metal. No visible silver clasps. Harder to repair than acrylic; works better in the lower jaw than the upper. Available privately.
Cobalt-chrome dentures
Premium option for partial dentures. Thin metal base of cobalt-chrome alloy, with acrylic and teeth attached. Significantly thinner, stronger, and more comfortable than acrylic for upper partials. Precisely-engineered clasps. Available privately.
Implant-retained dentures
Two to four implants placed in the jaw, with the denture clipping onto them. Eliminates the looseness common with conventional dentures, particularly transformative for lower full dentures. Quoted separately at consultation.
The Treatment Pathway
A new denture runs over five to seven appointments across six to ten weeks. The process is staged because each appointment depends on accurate work at the previous one.
Read more: The Treatment Pathway
Consultation. Examination of remaining teeth and tissues, X-rays where needed, discussion of denture type, written quote.
Primary impressions. Initial impressions with stock trays. The laboratory uses these to make custom trays for the working impressions.
Working impressions. Custom trays from the laboratory take precise impressions of the mouth. This step matters more than any other for the final fit.
Bite registration. We record how the upper and lower jaws come together, measuring the vertical dimension, centric relation, and smile line.
Try-in. The denture is built up at the laboratory with teeth set in wax and tried in your mouth. You see the proposed appearance and adjustments are made before final processing.
Fitting. The denture is finalised at the laboratory in the chosen material and fitted at the next appointment.
Reviews. We see you at one week and four weeks for adjustments as the denture settles.
Immediate dentures (placed at the time of extraction) follow a slightly different pathway, with the impressions taken before extraction. These need more adjustments in the first six months as the gum heals, but they avoid the patient being without teeth during healing.
What Is Included
We provide acrylic dentures (full or partial), flexible (Flexite) partial dentures, cobalt-chrome partial dentures, immediate dentures placed at extraction, implant-retained dentures, denture relines, and denture repairs, alongside NHS dentures where clinically necessary.
Read more: What Is Included
Private fees include all appointments from initial consultation through final review, plus the laboratory work. NHS dentures are covered on the NHS.
Living With New Dentures
The first few weeks with new dentures are an adjustment for everyone.
Read more: Living With New Dentures
Patients who follow the structured break-in period usually find dentures become invisible to them within a month. Patients who try to use them aggressively from day one often have a harder transition.
Wear the denture for short periods at first (two to three hours at a time), starting with quiet times at home. Eat soft foods cut small. Practise speaking out loud to retrain the tongue and lips. Take the denture out at night and store it in water or denture solution.
Gradually extend wear time over weeks two to four. Most patients are eating most of their normal diet by the end of week two. Sore spots are common in this phase; we adjust them at the one-week and four-week reviews.
After four weeks most patients are wearing the denture all day comfortably. Some foods (very chewy meats, sticky desserts) remain harder than with natural teeth.
Care, Repair, and Replacement
Clean the denture twice daily with a soft denture brush and denture cleaner (not regular toothpaste, which is too abrasive).
Read more: Care, Repair, and Replacement
Soak overnight in denture solution. Hold the denture over a folded towel or basin of water when cleaning, in case you drop it.
Acrylic dentures are typically relined every three to five years as the underlying ridge changes. Full denture replacement is typically every 7 to 10 years. Cobalt-chrome partials last 10 to 15 years because the metal frame does not wear.
Practices Offering Dentures
Nuffield Dental Practice
110–111 The StowHarlowEssex CM20 3AS01279 424 038Church Langley Dental
First Floor, Florence Nightingale Health CentreHarlowEssex CM17 9TE01279 306 690Enfield Smiles
195 High StreetEnfield EN3 4DZ020 8804 4320
Frequently Asked Questions
Book a Denture Consultation
The consultation gives you a clear answer on what type of denture suits your situation, what the timeline and cost will be, and whether implant retention should be considered.
- Nuffield Dental Practice (Harlow): 01279 424 038
- Church Langley Dental (Harlow): 01279 306 690
- Enfield Smiles (Enfield): 020 8804 4320