12/15/2025
How Are Dentures Made?
What goes on in a denture lab and why it matters.
Historically
Modern technology has drastically improved upon ancient dentures but the idea itself is nothing new. Astonishingly, humans have been replacing missing teeth for nearly 3,000 years. Relics of dentures have been found in ancient Egypt and Italy as early as 700 BCE. Back then, dentures looked and felt very different but the idea and goals have remained the same. These antique dentures were made from real teeth or carved bone that was attached to the remaining teeth using wire. As one could expect, these early dentures were likely both difficult to eat with and uncomfortable. In ancient Maya, pieces of carved bone and stone were shoved into vacant dental cavities, which in good cases, were absorbed by the jaw bone itself. This remarkable invention demonstrates the very first dental implants. While this is an amazing feat for the era and perhaps better than missing teeth, let’s just say, we’ve come a long way.
Modern Materials
Over the past 3,000 years, many things have changed, including the way we craft and sustain tooth replacement options. While dentures may look similar to some ancient models, they feel and function much differently. Here at Beautiful Smiles Denture Care, we use IPN Portrait to craft our dentures which is an incredibly durable American-made material that perfectly mimics your natural teeth. IPN is unique in two ways, the first being its potent strength. IPN Portrait has four times more bonds than typical acrylic teeth. Each bond ensures the longevity of the denture as well as the teeth themselves. Secondly, IPN Portrait teeth have an incredible color-matching technology that involves five color planes on each tooth. The darkest being at the root of the tooth descending in a soft gradient to translucence at the tip. While this sounds a little odd, it mimics natural teeth perfectly guaranteeing a flawless and undetectable denture. It also allows the teeth to blend in with your natural smile in a partial denture. Here at Beautiful Smiles, we pride ourselves on perfectly matching your prosthetic teeth to your natural ones, allowing for absolutely seamless partial or total dentures.
The Process
The process begins when you come in for your consultation and express to us your unique tooth replacement needs. Our denturist will asses your mouth and then take a mold of your teeth and bite. This mold, made of sodium alginate, hardens into a workable guide for our denture technicians. Whether you need one tooth or an entire set this mold will help us craft the most natural-looking and seamless smile. Michael Salehi, our experienced denturist, will go through a series of colors and shapes with you to find the teeth that can align your smile most closely with both aesthetic standards of perfection and your personal preference.
After this fitting, our technicians go to work. First, we will pour your impressions with stone to create a working frame for your denture. Then our experienced technicians begin crafting the temporary wax mold to hold your new teeth. At your next appointment, you will try on this wax mold to ensure you like the look of your new smile and everything fits before the final denture is set. Next, your denture arch is crafted by hand and on-site. We use the strongest and highest quality denture material on the market during the final construction. On your final appointment, you will try in the finished denture and any uncomfortable spots will be adjusted by hand until it fits like a glove.
What makes Beautiful Smiles Denture Care Unique?
We are lucky enough to have been rated a top provider by Seattle Met every year since 2011. We attribute this to our unique in-office lab and our dedication to high-quality dentures and patient satisfaction. At some offices, dentures are sent out to a lab which means increased wait times and a limited ability to adjust the fit of your denture. Not only does this limit the aesthetic specificity but it means adjusting both the temporary and finished product can take exponentially longer. Here at Beautiful Smiles, we can have your finished product ready in days rather than weeks. Our in-house technicians and denture specialists ensure it fits seamlessly at your final appointment. Unlike the out-of-office labs, we can adjust the fit as many times as it takes to get that perfect fit in just a one-hour appointment. Sometimes a denture needs to be adjusted five or six times and while in our office that only takes about twenty minutes, at a send-out denture clinic this could take weeks or even months. We care about your comfort above all else and are dedicated to taking the time to get it just right.
Please fill out our contact form or give us a call to get any questions answered or to schedule a free consultation!
Serving the Smiles of Bothell, Seattle, & Alderwood Manor
How Are Dentures Made? What goes on in a denture lab and why it matters. Historically Modern technology has drastically improved upon ancient dentures but the idea itself is nothing new. Astonishingly, humans have been replacing missing teeth for nearly 3,000 years. Relics of dentures have been foun...
