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Questions Most Frequently Asked by Denture Wearers
- You will have to be the ultimate judge, however, it is wise to make a sound informed decision. It usually boils down to these factors: the severity of your current oral condition, how much pain or discomfort you are continually experiencing, how many dollars that you are pouring into your teeth each year, how many inconvenient trips you are making to your dentist each year and how much your dentist is going to stand behind his treatment proposal (ask for it in writing). Before drawling a conclusion, it will be most advantageous to get an opinion from a dentist, an oral surgeon and a denturist.
- A denturist is a board certified professional health care provider and denture technologist who Is trained to examine diagnose and evaluate edentulous and partially edentulous oral conditions and who is exceptionally qualified to prescribe and to perform denture treatment options to his patients; and who personally manufactures dentures and refers his patients accordingly to oral surgeons, ear, nose and throat specialists, dentists and other health care providers as needed.
- Besides being fully qualified as a denture technologist an aspiring denturist must complete 4 credit hours of head and neck anatomy and physiology, 4 credit hours of oral pathology, 2 credit hours of Infection control and sterilization, 2 credit hours of clinical ethics and jurisprudence, 3 credit hours in principals of patient examination, 2 credit hours in principals of radiology, 3 credit hours of radiographic interpretation, 3 credit hours of clinical pharmacology, 3 credit hours of Tempromandibular joint disorders, 3 credit hours of dental implantology, and must additionally complete 100 hours of clinical training in clinical examination, medical emergencies, dental materials, clinical and laboratory removable procedures, removable partial denture design and construction, removable partial denture treatment, Gnathology; and additionally must serve an internship of six months in a denturist or dental practice; and additionally must demonstrate competency in a comprehensive denturist written and practical board examination.
- A dentist is one who has graduated from a four-year dental program and who practices many facets of general dentistry, however, is not a specialist. After dental school, many dentists through additional training and experience have become very proficient various facets of dentistry, although, have not become board certified specialists.
- Dental specialists are dentists who after four years of dental school have sought at least two additional years in a specialized dentistry program and who have demonstrated their competence through taking a comprehensive board examination and who practice exclusively in their trained area of specialized dentistry.
- For a dentist to become a denturist, he or she would first have to take a two-year course of study as a dental laboratory technology student and then would be required take a clinical denturitry course and to pass a comprehensive written and practical denturist board examination.
- It is always best to visit your denturist first. Denturists have professional relationships with oral surgeons. Your denturist will want to give you a complete evaluation to help you come up with an agreeable treatment option; he will also want to take impressions of your existing teeth so that he has a record of how your teeth looked prior to extractions. After becoming completely familiar with all your denture needs along with knowledge of your schedule, then he is in the best position to coordinate your overall treatment plan and schedule with your oral surgeon
- Make sure to get a second opinion from a denturist. Implants may be a good alternative, however there are many factors involved. A significant number of implant treatment procedures fail due to improper diagnosis and improper placement of the implants. Some dentists under prescribe implants, others over prescribe them; It is much more conservative to first have stable dentures made by a denturist (denture specialist), and then if still needed, to have the implants properly planned, located and added at a later date. Implants can be a viable treatment, although they do not last forever. If you have to finance implants for more than two years, it may be likely that they are not a sound alternative for you.
- There are many very successful denture techniques that do not require implants. With today’s technology, dentures can stay secure in your mouth and look natural without implants or messy adhesives, no matter how much or how little jawbone you have. The key is to have they made by a board certified denturist. Denturists are the only health care providers who have years of training and experience exclusively in fitting dentures and partial dentures. Denturists are also trained technologists who hand craft their own dentures.
- There are several kind of dentures that can be made to can snap in. They are made to snap into either Implants, mini implants, or teeth that have been root canalled (nerve removed from the tooth). Many of these are successful for up to ten years and in some cases even longer. One thing to remember is that over the years your gums will recede; and consequently, you may need to have new implants inserted into your jaw or maybe due to too much resorbtion of the jawbone, you will not be able to have implants reinserted. That’s where denturists come into the picture; they have successfully fitted many patients that were determined by dentists to be orally challenged (no longer able to adapt to implants, due to bone deficiency).
- Dentures are hand crafted and sculptured by denture technologists. If the thickness is an irritant to you, in most cases, it can be reduced and polished to your comfort. If your denture was by fitted by a dentist, he or she will most likely not have the skill to reduce and polish it to your satisfaction. The old saying goes: “It is not the shoe salesman, but the shoe maker that can make it comfortable;” the same goes with dentures. When you patronize a denturist you are also patronizing the technologist who made your dentures. It is in his hands, his mind and his heart to satisfy you, even if it takes some extra fine-tuning.
- Yes there is. In all cases they are over-dentures or dentures made over implants. However, ultra thin dentures that cover the roof of your mouth are more comfortable because you do not feel a gap between your gums and your denture; also eliminating a food trap. Ultra thin dentures are very thin and cover just the right areas of your mouth so that you feel comfortable; thus not causing you to gag.
- Immediate dentures are dentures that are made to fit your mouth prior to extractions and are inserted immediately after your teeth are extracted. Although some people have their dentures made a few weeks after extractions, most today, have them inserted immediately after their teeth are extracted; thus not having to go for weeks period without teeth.
- Some people still get there dentures made weeks after extractions so that they do not have to have them relined shortly after having them made; however, if the waiting period is not at least 10-15 weeks, the denture will still become loose. The waiting practice is a thing of the past for most, non-the less, it s still a viable alternative.
- Yes they can. If they were made with quality materials, and the teeth were designed so that they were long enough esthetically, they can be rebuilt so well using the same quality materials, that they will look and last exactly the same as a new set or dentures.
- Temporary dentures are dentures made from economy materials that are only to be used for an interim time; usually during the time your gums heal, resorb and settle; at which time your permanent dentures are made. These dentures should be checked periodically and it is not healthy to wear these dentures for a period longer than six months without professional care.
- Immediate dentures are bulky and big because the plastic gums are made over top of your natural gums, which is not natural, however, upon return to your denturist, they may be able to be made a little thinner; and after six months of jaw resorbtion, will return to normal upon having them rebuilt and sculptured. By rebuilding them, the gap inside will be filled in so that the outside can be thinned down to your comfort and optimum appearance.
- It is a process in which the loose denture is filled in on the inside with plastic to make them tighter and align them so that they articulate in proper occlusion with the opposing dentition in your mouth.
- It is perfectly normal to have splinters and pieces coming out of the extracted areas of your mouth. It will take about twelve weeks after extractions for your gums to settle completely. If your gums become infected, give you severe pain or throb, call your oral surgeon.
- If your dentures were inserted shortly after your teeth were extracted, they should be replaced or rebuilt six months after the extraction date. In the meantime, see if your denture care provider can modify the appearance by thinning and polishing them. If they were replacement dentures, there may be a problem in the tooth selection, tooth arrangement or in the design of the denture itself. Talk to your denture provider. If you do not get results, it may be advantageous for you to get a second opinion from a denturist (denture specialist).
- There are several kinds of relines. There are hard and soft relines; hard ones last longer than soft. Chair-side or clinical relines are done while you wait or in a couple of hours. These are not as accurate and will last only a few months. Laboratory relines are more accurate and will last longer. If the laboratory reline is done with a permanent heat cure material, it will last as long an your denture. Heat cure relines will usually take a couple of days unless they are processed in the in-house laboratory of a denturist.
- An over-denture is a denture that is secured by implants, mini implants or modified teeth that have been root canalled. These dentures usually either snap in and out or are magnetically held into position.
- Dropping them is the number one reason for breakage. Dentures often crack from dropping them and then come apart later during eating, sometimes the softest foods or even during drinking. There are different grades of dentures that are made from high quality, high impact materials that will not break nearly as easy. Loosely fitting dentures also have a tendency to break easier during eating. Age can also cause dentures to weaken and break. Pets also love to chew dentures apart; keep them out of reach.
- It is not normal or healthy to continually use denture adhesives to keep your dentures in place. If your dentures do not fit well, it would be advantageous to get your next set from a denturist. Sometimes denturists can rebuild existing dentures to make them fit properly.
- It is most common to have your dentures made prior to having your teeth extracted. Oral surgeons then have the ability to insert the dentures immediately into your mouth after extracting your teeth. The dentures will act as a protection to the extraction areas. Leave them in your mouth for the first twenty-four hours before removing them and rinsing your mouth. See your denture health care provider for adjustments within a day or two after they were initially placed into your mouth.
- Denturists use special non-gagging techniques in taking impressions. They are also successful in making dentures that will not gag you.
- Denturists routinely incorporate special denture techniques that will help denture wearers, who have had gum loss, to successfully and comfortably wear them.
- Yes. In many cases immediate dentures will need to be adjusted frequently and will need to be temporarily relined. After six months it is very important that your dentures are permanently rebuilt or at least relined.
- A reasonable time for new dentures to be completely broken in would be four to six weeks and, in extreme cases, not more that three months. However, some denture wearers completely adjust to them within a week or two.
- Many factors could prolong a reasonable denture-adjusting period. One, your mouth may not be physiologically adapting to your dentures due to a medical condition. Two the inside of your dentures may be rough, sharp or too tight. Three, your dentures may be too loose. Four, maybe your occlusial bite may be slightly distorted. If you are not getting satisfactory results after 90 days, it may be helpful to get a second opinion.
- A:After receiving your new dentures, it is important to visit your denture care provider at least once a year for an examination. Dentures can cause severe effects. Dentures not routinely checked can cause a host of severe oral conditions, without your feeling a thing.
- Dentures will last longer if they are regularly soaked nightly and brushed with a toothbrush under water before putting them into your mouth. Use a denture soaking solution. Do not use tooth past, denture past or scrubbing formulas that contain abrasives; they will wear your dentures, causing them to become ill-fitting. To further eliminate denture breakage, it is important to refrain from dropping them.
- The recommended way to clean your dentures is to soak them at least three hours or over night in a denture cleaning solution. Make sure to brush and rinse them thoroughly before inserting them back into your mouth. Do not use tooth past, denture past or scrubbing formulas that contain abrasives
- Dentures can fit snug and comfortable again by having them relined. There are several kinds of relines. Denturists are familiar with the various kinds of relines. After examining you, your denturist will help you to determine which kind of reline is best for you.
- This is a question that needs to be narrowed down. Do you mean too big on the inside, the teeth are too big or that the denture is so big that it is pushing your cheeks or lips out; or could you mean that it is crowding your tongue (too thick). There are denture procedures to remedy most of these problems, however, it could take a new denture to correct the problem. Make sure to be specific in explaining your problem. If after several attempts, you feel that you are not getting anywhere, It may be time to get a second opinion from a denturist.
- It sounds like your teeth were set into your denture with too much vertical dimension. Sometimes, it is a case of the pink flange of your dentures being too thick; thus causing your upper lip to rise up and expose more of the teeth. The teeth could also be set out too far, causing your lip too ride up. In any case, only a good denturist will be able to remedy the problem.