Eat a wider range of foods
Stop steering around the menu. A well-fitting set lets you bite and chew evenly on both sides again, including the firmer foods you have been avoiding.
Replacing Teeth
Dentures, custom made to fit your mouth
Dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth. They can replace a few teeth or a whole arch, and they are custom made to fit your mouth. A well-fitting set can help you eat more comfortably, speak more clearly and feel more confident smiling.
The Treatment
A straightforward way to replace teeth
Dentures remain one of the most straightforward ways to get comfortable eating, clear speech and an easy smile back after tooth loss. We make full sets, partials that work around the natural teeth you still have, and replacements for dentures that have had their day. If you already wear one, bring it to your consultation: keeping what works about your current set and correcting what does not is often the quickest route to a comfortable result, and we will advise whether a reline or a full remake is the better call.
You will find us at 80 Hutcheson Street in Merchant City, a short, level walk from Argyle Street and Queen Street stations with the St Enoch subway close by, which makes the run of short fitting visits denture work involves easy to keep up. We see denture patients from across Glasgow, and because we are open day and night, every day, try-ins and follow-ups can fit around your work rather than the other way round. New dentures take a bit of getting used to, and the early follow-up visits are part of the plan, not an afterthought.
Is This You?
Gaps, or a denture that no longer fits?
Losing teeth changes more than your smile. It changes how you chew, how you talk and often how you feel in company. An old denture that has loosened over the years brings its own daily worries, from sore spots to chewing on one side.
We make full and partial dentures built around your mouth rather than off the shelf, and we can often rescue a set that has seen better days. We are upfront about the settling-in period and stay with you until the fit feels right.
Why Patients Choose It
Why patients choose dentures
Clearer speech
Missing teeth can blur certain sounds. After a short adjustment period, most people find their speech settles back to normal.
Support for cheeks and lips
Support the cheeks and lips, which can look thin and sunken when teeth are missing.
Keep teeth from drifting
Fill gaps so the remaining teeth are less likely to drift out of place.
Non-surgical option
A removable, non-surgical option for replacing teeth, suitable for many people who are not keen on surgery.
Adjustable over time
Because they are removable, dentures can be relined and adjusted as your mouth changes, so the fit can be kept comfortable.
How It Works
Your denture journey
01
Consultation
We check your gums, any remaining teeth and the bone underneath, and talk through whether full or partial dentures suit you best, weighing the trade-offs and the alternatives plainly. If any failing teeth need extraction first, we plan that as part of the same journey.
02
Impressions or a scan
We take a detailed mould or digital scan of your mouth. This is what the lab builds your denture on, so it is worth getting right.
03
Bite and shade
We record how your teeth meet and choose a tooth shape and shade that looks natural for your face, not too white and not too uniform.
04
Try-in
You see a trial version, usually set in wax, before anything is finished. You check the look, we check the fit and bite, and we change things at this stage if needed.
05
Fit
Once you are happy, the lab finishes the denture and we fit it. We show you how to put it in and take it out, and how to clean it.
06
Adjustments
Most people need one or two small tweaks in the first few weeks as the denture beds in. These are normal and quick, not a sign anything has gone wrong.
Aftercare
Looking after your dentures
A little care keeps your dentures comfortable and your mouth healthy. Here is what to expect early on, and how to look after them day to day. And if a denture breaks or a raw spot flares up at an awkward hour, our emergency dentist page explains how to reach us.
First few weeks
- Expect a settling-in period. Your mouth may feel full and you may produce more saliva at first. This usually eases within a week or so.
- Speech can feel odd to begin with. Reading aloud at home helps your tongue and lips adjust, and most people sound normal again within a few weeks.
- Start with soft foods cut small, and chew evenly on both sides. Build back up to your normal diet over several weeks rather than all at once.
- Come back if a spot feels sore. Do not push through pain or try to file the denture yourself.
Every day, long term
- Clean your dentures daily over a folded towel or a basin of water, so they are not damaged if you drop them. Use a soft denture brush and a denture cleaner, not regular toothpaste, which is abrasive and scratches them.
- Rinse them after meals to clear food debris.
- Take your dentures out at night. This lets your gums rest and lowers the risk of fungal infection. Keep them in water overnight so they do not dry out and warp, and if you use a soaking solution, check it suits your denture: bleach-based cleaners can damage metal frameworks such as cobalt-chrome.
- Keep brushing any natural teeth, your gums and your tongue, and look after the rest of your mouth as normal.
- Come for regular reviews. We check the fit, your gums and the denture itself, and reline or remake it as your mouth changes over time.
The trade-offs
What to weigh up
Dentures take time to get used to. The first weeks can feel strange, and it is normal to need a few adjustments before they are comfortable.
Your jawbone slowly changes shape after teeth are lost. That means even a well-made denture will loosen over time and will need relining or replacing to keep fitting. How often a reline or replacement is needed varies from person to person, and your dentist will advise based on how your mouth changes.
Material choice is a trade-off. Acrylic is a sound, simpler option but bulkier. A cobalt-chrome metal framework is slimmer and strong but a bigger piece of work. Flexible nylon is light and clasp-free and suits people with metal or acrylic sensitivities, but it is harder to reline and repair.
Lower full dentures in particular can feel less stable than uppers, because there is less ridge to hold onto. It can take a little longer to get used to eating and speaking with a lower denture, and we will talk you through what helps. If a lower never truly settles, anchoring it on implants is one of the options we can discuss.
Eating and speech take practice at first. Starting with soft foods and reading aloud at home both help, and most people work back to a normal diet and clear speech over several weeks.
We will always talk through other ways to replace teeth, such as implants and bridges, so you can make a properly informed choice rather than defaulting to dentures.
Common Questions
Denture questions, answered
What is the difference between full and partial dentures?
A full denture replaces a whole upper or lower arch when there are no natural teeth left there. A partial denture fills one or more gaps and fits around the natural teeth you still have, often clipping onto them gently to stay in place.
How long does it take to get dentures?
Usually a few weeks across several appointments. The lab needs time to build each stage, and the try-in step means nothing is finished until you have seen and approved how it looks and feels.
Will I have to go without teeth while they are being made?
Not necessarily. In many cases an immediate denture can be made in advance and fitted on the day any teeth are removed, so you are not left with gaps. We will tell you clearly whether that works for your situation, as it depends on healing and on how the gums settle afterwards.
Will dentures look natural?
That is the aim, and it is why the try-in stage matters. We choose a tooth shape and shade to suit your face and age rather than a single bright white, and you approve the look before the denture is finished.
Are dentures comfortable, and can I eat normally?
There is an adjustment period. Early on they can feel bulky and eating takes practice, so we suggest soft foods to begin with. Most people work back up to a normal diet over several weeks. If a particular spot stays sore, come back and we will put it right.
Should I take my dentures out at night?
Yes. Leaving them out overnight gives your gums a rest and reduces the risk of infection. Keep them soaking in water or a denture solution so they do not dry out and lose their shape. If yours has a metal framework, use plain water or a soak made for metal dentures, as bleach-based products can damage the metal.
Will my denture need adjusting after it is fitted?
Most likely, yes, and that is normal. New dentures settle in over the first few weeks, and a small tweak or two is often needed to ease a sore spot or fine-tune the bite. Over the longer term the gum and bone underneath slowly change shape, so a denture is usually relined now and then to keep the fit snug. Come back rather than adjusting it yourself.
How long do dentures last?
With good care a set can last several years, though how long varies from person to person because the shape of your gums slowly alters over time. Expect relines along the way to keep the fit right, and a remake in time. Regular reviews catch fit problems early.
Can a loose denture be held in place?
Often, yes. If the fit has drifted as your gums have changed, a reline can tighten things up. Where looseness keeps returning, particularly with a lower full denture, a small number of dental implants can sometimes be placed to anchor the denture, so it clips securely into place and still lifts out for cleaning. The dentist will assess your gums and the bone underneath and talk you through whether either route would suit you.
Do I need a denture fixative?
A well-made, well-fitting denture should not have to rely on adhesive. A little fixative can be a reasonable short-term confidence boost, for example while an immediate denture settles after extractions, but if your denture only stays put with adhesive, the fit needs checking. Persistent looseness usually means a reline is due, or that it is worth discussing implant stabilisation.
My denture has snapped or a tooth has come off it. What should I do?
Stop wearing it if there are sharp edges, as a broken denture can cut your gums or cheek. Keep every piece, including any tooth that has come away, and resist the urge to glue it back together. Household adhesives are not safe in the mouth, damage the acrylic and often make a proper repair harder. Call us any time, day or night, and we will tell you what to do next and arrange for you to be seen.
How much do dentures cost?
Every mouth is different, so the honest answer is that it depends on you: whether you need a full or partial denture, the material it is made from (acrylic, cobalt-chrome or flexible nylon), how many teeth are being replaced, and whether your existing denture can be relined rather than remade. At your consultation the dentist will go through your options and the cost of each, and you will get a written, itemised quote before anything is agreed. Nothing goes ahead until you are happy.
Is NHS dental treatment free in Scotland?
NHS dental examinations are free for everyone in Scotland. NHS dental treatment is free if you are under 26, pregnant or have given birth in the last 12 months, or qualify for a low-income exemption. Whether those rules apply to you is worth checking before any treatment is planned, so raise it at your consultation and the dentist will talk through your options.
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Custom-made full and partial dentures, with a try-in before anything is finished.