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New Dentures
There are several steps in the
process of making new dentures for you:
The first step
is a free consultation where I evaluate your mouth and
existing dentures. I am looking for tissue that is
healthy and will examine the state of the existing
ridges in your mouth. The ridge is extremely important
in determining how successful your new dentures will
be.
The second step is taking impressions and measuring
the jaw with an instrument called the facebow. This
allows me to place the model of your upper ridge on an
articulator as it sits in your head.
The third step is
taking a bite (this doesn’t mean you get to bite me).
The bite orients your upper and lower jaw so I know how
you chew.
The next step is a wax try-in. This is where
I have set teeth in wax for you to critique their color,
shape, size and placement. If they don’t look correct to you
this is where I make changes and you look at them
again. If you find these aesthetically pleasing I
process the dentures and deliver them to you at your
next appointment. We then start the process of fitting
them and making them comfortable for you through any needed
adjustment appointments. This may take up to three
months.
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Implant-Retained Dentures
Dental implants are titanium
"screws" that are implanted into the bone in place of
your teeth. They are the most permanent and trouble-free
solution to missing teeth. They can significantly change
your life, by improving your smile, and the chewing, speech,
and function of your mouth. They are versatile, and can be
used to replace a missing tooth, several missing teeth, or
all of the teeth on the upper or lower arch.
We fabricate the dentures on the
implants. This is done the same way we make
replacement dentures. The implants are placed by your
dentist, the abutments (the pieces you see above the gums)
are the pieces that attach to the dentures.
An implant-retained denture is a
type of overdenture that is supported by and attached
to dental implants. A regular denture rests on the gums and
tends to fit less snugly in the mouth.
An implant-retained denture is used
when a person doesn't have any teeth in the jaw, but has
enough bone in the jaw to support implants. An
implant-retained denture has special attachments that snap
onto the implants.
Implant-retained dentures are
usually made for the lower jaw because regular dentures tend
to be less stable there. Usually, a regular denture made to
fit an upper jaw is quite stable on its own, and
doesn't need the extra support offered by implants. However,
you can receive an implant-retained denture in either the
upper or lower jaw.
You can remove an implant-retained
denture easily. Some people prefer to have fixed (permanent)
crown and bridgework in their mouths that can't be removed.
Your dentist will consider your particular needs and
preferences when suggesting fixed or removable options.
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Immediate Dentures
These dentures are made before
you have your teeth extracted. I take the impressions
of your existing teeth. Your immediate dentures are
then fabricated and you take them to the dentist who is
doing the extractions. After the extractions I take
care of you for nine months. This involves placing
temporary liners in the dentures while you are healing.
At the end of nine months a reline may be necessary.
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Relines
Your dentures need to be relined about every two years.
This is because your ridges change. They shrink and
change constantly for the rest of your life. Relining
your dentures involves taking an impression inside your
denture to make it fit your tissue as it is now.
This
process is done in one day. Your appointment is in the
morning to take the impression, we keep your denture to
reline it and return it to you in the afternoon.
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Partial Dentures
There are several types of
partials.
The first is called a “flipper” or temporary
partial. This is used during healing or to be used
while crowns and bridge work is being done by your
dentist.
The second is a flexible partial and is used
when you don’t want metal showing or used in your
mouth. We might also use a flexible partial if design
is difficult due to teeth configuration. Chrome partials
are the standard appliance people think of when
discussing partials. This partial is stronger and
lasts longer if your teeth are healthy.
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Repairs
You may break your
dentures. This is very traumatic. We can complete most
repairs within hours of you seeing us. You can often
wait for the repair. We discourage super gluing your
broken denture as it makes our job very difficult and
the results may not be satisfactory.
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