Dentures – San Marcos, CA
Get a Completely New Smile!
If you’ve watched your teeth fall out one by one over the years, or if you’ve had a traumatic accident that caused you to lose them all at once, you might feel like your days of smiling with confidence are far in the past. However, that isn’t the case—dentures can help you get a completely new smile incredibly easily!
If you’re near San Marcos, CA, Nelson Y. Howard DDS and his incredible dental team can use this prosthetic to replace all of your missing teeth. Make an appointment with us today and we’ll let you know what dentures could do for you!
Why Choose Nelson Y. Howard DDS for Dentures?
- Personalized Care from a World-Class Dental Team
- Prosthetic Design Informed by the Latest Technologies in Oral Medicine
- Expert Aesthetic Dentist with a Sharp Attention to Detail
Who Is a Good Candidate for Dentures?
Nearly anyone with one or more missing teeth can be an excellent candidate for dentures. The first step toward enjoying your newly restored smile is to schedule a consultation at one of our offices in San Marcos or San Diego so Dr. Howard can evaluate your mouth and determine the best course of treatment for you. If he finds that you are not a good candidate yet, you may be able to become one later after having treatments to resolve issues like gum disease or reinforce your jawbone.
Effects of Missing Teeth
Tooth decay and gum disease are two of the most widespread health problems on Earth, and they, along with oral injuries, are the most common causes of tooth loss. Missing teeth can lead to a range of oral and overall health issues such as:
- The remaining teeth drifting out of alignment, making them more vulnerable to damage and infection
- The gums becoming more exposed to injuries due to food debris
- Facial sagging due to the teeth no longer supporting the face
- Trouble eating due to lost chewing power
- Difficulty speaking due to changes in how air flows within the mouth
- Atrophy of the jawbone due to a lack of exercise
- Diminished self-esteem
What Qualifies You for Dentures?
Dentures may be a great option if you have experienced extensive tooth loss, live with severe dental sensitivity, or have a lot of tooth decay as long as you have sufficiently healthy jawbones and gum tissue. Once you receive dentures, you will also need to commit to an excellent oral hygiene regimen to prevent infections and help your appliance fit well for as long as possible.
The right type of denture for you ultimately depends on how many teeth you’re missing. While a partial denture can replace one or a few teeth throughout the mouth, a full denture can restore a whole arch. If you’re looking for an appliance that offers a superior hold and maximum chewing power, implant dentures may be the appropriate solution. Since dentures are often more affordable than other tooth replacement methods, they may be an excellent choice for a patient on a budget.
Alternative Tooth-Replacement Options
While dentures can be an amazing way to replace lost teeth, some patients may be better suited by other tooth-replacement methods such as:
Dental bridges: These appliances consist of one or a few artificial teeth strung between two dental crowns, and they can replace a single tooth or several sequential missing teeth. However, placing a bridge requires the alteration of the healthy teeth on either side of the gap so they can support its dental crowns.
Dental implants: These prosthetic appliances are considered the ideal form of tooth replacement because they look and feel like real teeth and can last for thirty years or a lifetime with excellent care. To receive a dental implant, a patient will need to have enough jawbone mass to host the titanium post that anchors it in place.
Types of Dentures
There are several types of dentures, and the one that you should use comes down to the particulars of your situation. We’ll give you a detailed recommendation when we meet, but here’s what you should know beforehand.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are ideal for those patients who are missing most, but not all, of their teeth on a gum ridge. They consist of false teeth on a metal base, and include small clips that allow them to attach to the natural teeth for support.
Full Dentures
Full dentures, on the other hand, are meant for patients who are missing all of their teeth. They have nothing to attach to with clasps, which means that they are meticulously designed to adhere to the gums entirely via suction.
Full dentures consist of an acrylic base with either acrylic or porcelain teeth attached to it.
Implant Dentures
Implant dentures are an excellent option for patients who want the coverage of dentures but would like a little bit more stability. This can be done by attaching a full or partial denture to a series of metal posts surgically inserted into the jaw.
Implant dentures provide patients with not only greater bite strength, but superior durability as well. This means that if you go this route, you’re likely to save a lot of money on relines and replacements in the long run.
How Dentures Are Made
Before you get dentures, you may want to learn how they’re made. It’s a common thought – many folks like knowing what went into their replacement teeth. Fortunately, our office can gladly explain the ins and outs of the denture creation process to you. You’d then feel more confident in your treatment, rightly trusting that your restored smile is well-crafted. Just keep reading to learn the relevant details, or call our office for a chat!
What are Dentures Made Of?
Whether a denture is partial or full, it always has two crucial parts: a base and artificial teeth. These things make up most of the overall device, so you should keep them in mind. Consider them more fully below:
- Denture Base – A denture’s base is its foundation, supporting the artificial teeth with a layer of pink-colored material. Acrylic is the most common substance, but others (especially nylon) can be good substitutes.
- Artificial Teeth – The artificial teeth are tooth-replacing parts of dentures. Since dental labs make them from resin or porcelain, they match your smile’s overall color.
The Denture Creation Process
Each denture is custom-made for its patient, so making one involves a multi-step process. These key steps include:
- Step 1: Dr. Howard will design a plaster model (using a dental impression) that matches your final denture’s size and shape.
- Step 2: After receiving the plaster model, a dental lab will use it to make a wax gumline.
- Step 3: Workers will set artificial teeth in the wax gumline once it’s ready. From there, they’ll make a prototype denture for the final one.
- Step 4: Our practice will receive the protype denture and see if it fits your mouth. Once we’ve confirmed its fit, we’ll send it back to the dental lab.
- Step 5: After boiling it to remove wax, a worker will place the prototype in a flask. The flask itself will receive plaster and sit in hot water.
- Step 6: A separator will go into the plaster layer and keep the acrylic from sticking. Next, this acrylic will be injected into the flask to replace the wax.
- Step 7: The dental lab will remove all plaster to reveal the final denture. Then, they’ll place the restoration in a bath to remove its residue.
- Step 8: The lab’s workers will remove your denture’s excess acrylic and polish its surface.
- Step 9: To ensure it works smoothly and easily, our office will fit your final denture for you.
Adjusting to Your New Dentures
Your mouth may feel sore as you adjust to your dentures. That’s a normal response; you’ll need time to get used to your new teeth and learn how they work. Once you’ve practiced a bit, the dentures will feel more familiar.
All that said, certain tips and tricks can speed up the adjustment. One good method would be to exercise your facial muscles, ensuring they’ll handle dentures better. Other approaches include eating soft foods (to avoid gum irritation) and using special adhesives (to enhance denture security). With these and similar actions, your dentures will soon feel more natural.
Should your denture pain worsen or persist, please call our office. We’ll gladly alter your devices so they don’t make your mouth ache.
The Benefits of Dentures
One of the main things that dentures have going for them is the fact that they can be completely customized to you. We do everything that we can to make sure that your prosthetic not only fits well, but that the teeth look incredibly natural in your mouth.
These dentures will allow you to eat a much more nutritious diet than you could otherwise, meaning that they’ll allow you to live a much healthier lifestyle. And their ease of maintenance means that you won’t have to take time from things that matter to keep your prosthetic in good condition.
If you have any questions about what dentures can do for you, reach out to us for a consultation today!