Ask the Dental Experts

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Full Dental Restorations

Full dental restorations are needed anytime a person loses several teeth in their upper or lower arch. Missing teeth are a serious problem. If you do nothing about the fact that some of your teeth are gone, you will eventually have problems with all of your remaining teeth.

That’s why it’s strongly recommended that you contact our office and talk to us about the options you have for tooth replacement. The nature and cost of each of these options varies, but nothing should ever make you think that there is no option for you. Something can be done, and there is always a way to work out financing through one of our many payment option programs for qualified dental patients.

Delaying treatment is never a sound course of action. Your remaining teeth need one another to stay in alignment. Any gap in the upper or lower arch is going to negatively impact the teeth on either side of the gap. Also, the jawbone is going to recede when one or more teeth are lost and tooth roots no longer stimulate the bone through chewing. Speaking and eating will become very hard for you as well.

Your lips and cheeks will lack the support they need for a more youthful appearance. For these reasons, we recommend one of three full dental restorations to help you stay healthy and keep a beautiful smile.

Depending on your medical and your financial situation, you could choose any of the following three options:

· A conventional full denture
· An overdenture
· Cosmetic Dental Implants

Conventional full dentures
When all of your teeth are missing or must be removed, a full dental restoration can be done with a set of conventional dentures. Conventional dentures can fit and function well at the start.

However, when all the teeth in an arch are missing, the jawbone gradually shrinks. This can be prevented by placing dental implants in the gaps to replace the tooth roots, then using the implants to support the dentures. This may be out of your price range, however, but it is something you can do later down the line if you choose.

Another option for full dental restoration is to save the remaining teeth and actually use them to help secure a set of overdentures fill in the gaps.

Overdentures
An overdenture looks the same as a regular denture, but it’s held in place by some of your existing teeth. This allows overdentures to be more secure and feel more natural than conventional dentures. And because some of your natural teeth are left in place, loss of bone in your jaw is slowed significantly.

Implants
Implants are small titanium posts that are placed into the bone of your jaw. They are the best of all full dental restoration options because they replace the roots of missing teeth, they help maintain the health and shape of the jawbone. Like we have already noted, implants also hold dentures, or they can support porcelain crowns.

However, implants require surgery, and they can take months to heal completely.

Labels: cosmetic dental implants, cosmetic dentures, full dental restorations, overdentures

Monday, March 15, 2010

Denture Relinment and Replacement Ensures Proper Denture Functionality and Aesthetics

Proper fit is essential for dentures to work. Periodically, adjustments and relinements have to be made in order to maintain proper fit. This is because new dentures are made to fit properly at first, but as tissues in your mouth change

New dentures are made to fit properly, but as the tissues in your mouth change over time, your dentures will need to be adjusted, relined, and eventually replaced.

One of the reasons that dentures sometimes need to be adjusted is to relieve the sore spots that develop in the mouth. These adjustments are made in the dentist office.

Relinement of dentures is needed when the denture fit becomes noticeably changed over time. This change in fit is caused by your jaw bone receding. The jaw naturally and continually shrinks when natural teeth are missing. Unfortunately, nothing short of dental implants can stop this. Many people lose up to 60% of their original jawbone mass in the first three years after getting dentures.

Many bad habits can also affect denture fit. Sleeping with your dentures in can cause you to grind your teeth and clench your jaw. This can accelerate shrinkage. Weight loss or weight gain can also affect the shape of your gums.

Once this affects how the base of your dentures fit the surface of your gums, you will need to get a relinement for a better fit. This will probably be within the first several months after you receive your new dentures. This cycle of denture relinement will need to be continued for the life of your dentures.

Denture replacement will have to be arranged every 5 to 10 years or so. This is because your mouth will have changed so much by that time that your old dentures simply will not fit any longer. In some instances, old denture teeth can be fit in a new base. In other instances, we may have to make an entirely new base with all new denture teeth.

You may realize that your denture needs to be replaced when you notice any of the following problems:

You get your dentures relined, but that does not improve the fit.
Your mouth is always sore and irritated.
Your face changes.
You have difficulty chewing certain foods.
Your dentures fall out when you laugh or talk.
The denture teeth become worn, or the denture is broken.
You have headaches or pain in your jaw joints or neck.

Although relinement and replacement are never fun for denture patients, the importance of a good fit cannot be underestimated. When dentures do not fit well, they become loose, and the areas around them become prone to infections, sores, and excess scar tissue. Poorly fitted dentures will make chewing more difficult and affect how much your jaw muscles and joints function.

Dentures that are consistently relined and maintained at a proper degree of fit prevent these problems. They also keep your appearance looking good.

Labels: cosmetic dentures, denture relinement

Monday, February 22, 2010

Ask the Dentist: Cost of Getting Dentures

I am looking to get dentures and I would like to know what it will cost. I am pretty sure all my other teeth will have to be pulled out. I want to know what the cost is without insurance.
Sheila

Thanks for the note, Sheila –

We will have to see you, take x-rays, take photos, etc. in order to answer your questions fairly. The cost will depend on how many teeth need to be taken out (we will look to see if in fact they all need to be taken out and give you options), and also the difficulty of the dentures. If you would like to have IV sedation, that is a separate cost that you can consider.

If indeed you need these teeth extracted, we will probably be making immediate dentures (made ahead of time and placed at the same time the teeth are taken out). We can also teach you about the possibility of dental implants if you are interested in those also.

Please call our office and make a denture consult appointment. You can speak with Mary, Debbie, or Maria. If you will give me your phone now, I can have one of those ladies call you and answer any further questions you might have.

Chuck Campbell, DDS
Dale J. Brant, DDS

Labels: cosmetic dentures, dental insurance, denture costs

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Mini Dental Implants

What Are Mini Dental Implants?
A mini dental implant consists of a miniature titanium implant that behaves just like a tooth root. A retaining fixture then attaches the MDI to the base of a denture. Because the head of the implant is ball-shaped, the retaining fixture functions as a socket of sorts that contains a rubber O-ring. This O-ring snaps over the ball when the denture seats. This, in turn, holds the denture at a pre-set level of force. The intent here is for the denture to rest gently on the gum tissue.

Why were mini implants invented to begin with?
The primary function of the mini dental implant is to stabilize a lower denture. Approximately 50,000,000 Americans lack teeth. On a daily basis, these people suffer as they struggle with their dentures. Many feel tremendous discomfort because of low or poorly fitting dentures.

Most people who wear dentures become very shy in public. Dentures also trap teeth and can cause bad breath, and many people feel particularly embarrassed to be around those they love the most.

These issues can be greatly rectified by placement of mini dental implants. All over the world, denture patients have reported feeling great relief from loose dentures. With the help of a good cosmetic dentist, an MDI can stabilize a denture and help the patient start an entirely new chapter of confidence and joy in his or her life.

When do cosmetic dentists recommend the placement of MDIs in the lower jaw?
Cosmetic Dentists recommend them when they are needed to support dentures. When solid bony adaptation, or integration, has clearly occurred, mini dental implants function as long-term support structures instead of medium term support structures. Some have successfully lasted for decades in patient jaws. Over the past several years, many cosmetic dentists have used MDI’s for single tooth replacements and as supports for crowns and bridges.

How are mini dental implants placed in the mouth?
They are gently screwed into the lower jaw. This involves a minimal amount of discomfort for the patient. Cosmetic dentists typically apply a mild anesthetic to ensure the patient does not feel pain. MDIs are about the size of wooden toothpicks and are easily placed in position using this method. Typically, they are placed about five millimeters apart in the jaw.

The dentist then carefully adjusts the lower denture to make it snap into the four mini implants. This results in a tightly-fitting, completely reliable system that lets a person speak and eat with confidence. Because of the non-invasive nature of this procedure, patients can normally eat a light meal only hours after placement of MDIs. The presence of mini implants does not impede removing and cleaning dentures, either. With a bit of practice, a person can learn to remove them easily and practice good dental hygiene.

Labels: cosmetic dentures, houston dental implants, lower dentures, MDI, mini dental implants, mini implants, problems with dentures

Monday, October 19, 2009

Permanent Dentures

Ask the Dental Experts
Our philosophy is to help our patients achieve and maintain exceptional dental health. We work hard to make sure that our level of care is deserving of our patients’ respect and confidence. Our tradition of preventive dentistry is the basis for all service and care in our practice. We welcome all questions and comments regarding dentistry in the hope that we increase your dental "IQ" and help you make better dental health decisions.

I have a great deal of missing teeth and currently wear an upper teeth removable denture. I am interested in obtaining dental implants that will anchor the denture permanently in place. What kind of costs are associated with such a procedure.
http://www.cosmetic-dentistry-center.com/dental-implants-denture-bridge-case-study-p-7.html

Here are some photos of what might likely work for you if you have a removable denture made that snaps onto implants. It is also possible to place more implants and have fixed bridgework that is not taken in and out. The costs can vary a lot, depending on what it is that you want done, how much bone you have, whether you want intravenous sedation for the surgical steps, and many other factors. Please come in for an exam so that we can give you a realistic cost estimate. This is complex dental treatment, and there are just too many variables to quote prices without examining you.
Give us a call.

Chuck Campbell, DDS
Dale Brant, DDS
(713) 795-5905

Labels: cosmetic dentures, den, houston dental implants