Facts About Dentures and How They Can Work For You

 Dentures are artificial teeth that are removable and are used as replacements for real teeth when they are missing. Modern technology has made dentures look so much like your natural teeth; that other people can rarely tell there is a foreign object in your mouth. The two most commonly available types of dentures are partial or complete (full) dentures. Partial dentures are used to fill a smaller gap in between real teeth, whereas complete or full dentures are used when all of your natural teeth are missing  in your upper or lower jaw. There are alternatives to dentures such as dental implants which resemble the feel and touch of real teeth, although they are usually more expensive than dentures.  If considering partial or complete dentures, let us know.  We specialize in the restoration and replacement of teeth for the best possible solution that is right for your oral health needs.

Partial Dentures

Partial dentures are usually removable and, although artificial, look like real teeth.  They are usually attached to a pinkish colored, plastic base which is made to look like the gums in a person's mouth.  This colored base has metal connectors and clasps that attach to your real teeth and help to hold the denture in place when fitted in the mouth. In some cases, we recommend that a precision attachment be used, which is another type of partial denture. Some consider precision attachments to be a little more esthetically pleasing though it might be a larger investment than regular partial dentures. The difference between the two is instead of using clasps, precision attachments have connectors that are more concealed, and, therefore, give a more natural appearance to a person's overall smile. However, regular, partial dentures are a great option to fill in those missing spaces created by absent teeth, and apart from just how they affect your smile, there are numerous health benefits to them as well such as they keep other teeth from shifting or changing position over time.

Complete Dentures

Complete, or 'full', dentures come in two forms, 'conventional' or 'immediate' dentures. You can be fitted with immediate dentures, just as soon as your teeth are removed, the advantage to which is that you won't have to go without teeth while your mouth is healing, which can take anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks after extraction. The disadvantage of this option is that since the gums and bones in the mouth slightly shrink in size after teeth have been taken out, immediate dentures require more adjustments during the healing process to ensure that you have a proper fit.

On the other hand, conventional dentures are placed in a person's mouth several weeks after the teeth have been completely removed. This time period allows the gum and surrounding tissue to heal. Most dentists agree that immediate dentures should be considered a temporary solution until conventional dentures can be made.

There are many options available when considering getting dentures. The key is to visit our office for a consultation and exam.  We will thoroughly evaluate your dental needs, and recommend a course of action that will give you the pearly white smile you've always wanted.

Cosmetic Dentistry Combines Both Function and Appearance

To say that cosmetic dentistry is essential to modern dentistry would not be far from accurate. In a sense, cosmetic dentistry has driven innovation.  While today teeth whitening is seen as purely esthetic, it was a quest for whiter teeth that led us to important inventions like the toothbrush. Today the field of cosmetic dentistry is extremely broad, with several branches including orthodontics and prosthodontics. While there is still a perception that cosmetic dentistry is focused on the aesthetics of teeth, gums, and the bite, the lines between what is cosmetic and what is vital to the functionality and health of the gums are becoming more blurry. This is because as the science continues to develop we are discovering that symmetrical teeth, and an aligned bite are not just about looking good but also have a role to play in the overall health of the mouth.

The heart of cosmetic dentistry is still found in our ability to restore a person’s smile. The idea that the things we do to your teeth can boost confidence is an important driver for most people involved in cosmetic dentistry. However, there is a wider application of this science which has become so commonplace that most people cannot imagine a world in which cosmetic dentistry does not exist. In the modern world, you can easily replace a broken tooth with a crown or take an elderly person in to get a bridge placed. These procedures restore the functionality of the mouth to optimum levels and ensure that you have the ability to eat, speak, and function normally. Without these “cosmetic” procedures, people would have to learn to live with broken teeth or worse have them pulled out completely.

Take one of the most common problems that we deal with as a cosmetic dentist. Cooked teeth, or malocclusion occurs in a large number of people. While this is not considered a serious medical condition, we now know that having badly aligned teeth can lead to a number of other problems which can in turn cause more serious issue to arise. The first and most obvious problem with having malocclusion is the inability to properly clean all the surfaces of your teeth. When your teeth are crooked, misaligned, or overlapping, your brush cannot get between the teeth to clean those normally hard to reach areas. This can lead to cavities, gingivitis, or even more severe gum diseases like periodontal disease.

Malocclusion also causes your teeth to put a great deal of stress on the jaw, facial muscles, and the teeth themselves making it much easier for you to suffer a chipped or broken tooth. The strain placed on your jaw, and temporomandibular joint can lead to a complication known as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) which comes with a host of other challenges. All of these are simple to avoid, and cosmetic dentistry has been used for decades to help people with a malocclusion to have straighter, healthier, and more attractive teeth. As the science continues to advance, we have even more treatment options available for addressing these common oral health concerns.