Using dentures to restore the smile after tooth loss or extraction

Dentures, also referred to by patients as “false teeth,” are a prosthetic that is made with natural-looking teeth that replaces one, several, or sometimes all of the teeth in the dental arch. Dr. Tokiko Poppe and her team at Cosmos Dentistry in Bellevue, Washington, work routinely with patients who have experienced tooth loss and extraction to help them decide if prosthetic teeth are right for their unique needs.

What are dentures?

Dental restorations like dentures are a type of prosthetic that can be used to replace one, several, or all of the teeth in the dental arch. They are made with materials to create false but attractive replacement teeth and can be customized to match the patient’s existing teeth. Dentures are typically made from a molded piece of acrylic and can be removable or fixed in place.

What are the benefits of dentures?

Dentures offer many benefits for patients who have experienced tooth loss. They can help restore the teeth’ function, improve the smile’s appearance, and support the facial structure. Dentures also make it easier to eat and speak compared to having missing teeth.

Are there different types of dentures?

Absolutely, and Dr. Poppe offers both. They include partial dentures and complete dentures.

  • Partial dentures. Our team describes the partial denture as a removable prosthetic used when one or several teeth in the arch are missing. It has a metal and acrylic framework that clips into place within the arch and slides false teeth where they are needed. Patients can remove the dentures to clean them and care for their smiles as necessary.
  • Complete dentures. Also known as “full dentures,” complete dentures are created to replace all teeth in the arch using an acrylic restoration that includes both false teeth and gums. They are held in the mouth with denture solution, natural suction, or in some cases, several dental implants along the arch.

Schedule a visit with Dr. Tokiko Poppe of Cosmos Dentistry

If you reside in Bellevue, WA, and want to speak to our team about the advantages of using prosthetic teeth to restore your smile’s appearance and function, call (425) 448-4770 to request an appointment. We are now open to new patients at our practice, located at 1515 116th Ave NE, Suite #301.

Dentures at Cosmos Dentistry

Dentures at Cosmetic Dentistry
What are dentures and how can they help you to make your smile perfect? Watch the video as Dr. Poppe explains all you need to know about dentures.

Hi, my name is Tokiko Poppe from Cosmos Dentistry in Bellevue, Washington. Today we’re going to talk about Dentures.

What are dentures?

Dentures are made from artificial material to give patients missing teeth. For a lot of reasons, patients can be missing teeth; it could be trauma, it could be disease, it could be congenital, which means by birth. Whatever the reason is, we want to give the teeth so patients can chew and smile.

There are different kinds of dentures. There are conventional full dentures to replace all the teeth, while conventional partial dentures which are to cover a few of the teeth, not all of the teeth, and some dentures are supported by Implants which is titanium buried in the bone to support the stability of the dentures.

What are the benefits of Dentures?

The candidates are usually grown-up adults over the age of 18, and the benefit of dentures is there are a few options for the patient whenever they’re missing the teeth; the benefit of Denture is relatively easier compared to other options, for example, Implants. Dentures can be more affordable for the patient and non-invasive, and once you get used to chewing with the Dentures, it can be very, very comfortable and becomes part of the patient. I have a lot of patients who have been wearing the same Dentures for over 10 years, 15 years, and they’re still functioning and smiling.


Dr. Poppe Sitting

Dr. Tokiko Poppe

Dr. Tokiko Poppe graduated from the University of the Pacific's Arthur Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco. She has received extensive training in all aspects of dentistry and was involved in craniofacial research and studies on cleft lip and palate in school.

Dr. Poppe also completed a General Practice Residency in California, where she cared for medically-compromised adults at Veterans Hospital and children under general anesthesia at the University Medical Center. She is a member of the ADA, AAGO, AAPMD, WSDA, SKCD, AGD, American Laser Study, TBI Ambassadors, and AMR advanced program. She has completed Spear Education which dentists pursue to learn complex restorative dentistry. Dr. Poppe is also an osteopathic-trained dentist, having learned the whole-body approach from osteopathic physicians. She follows continuing education to stay abreast of the latest dental trends and enjoys sharing her knowledge with her community.

She also holds a Japanese dental license and speaks Japanese and English.