Complete dentures cover both upper and lower jaws. The options for complete dentures range from immediate dentures to highly customized implant dentures. Immediate dentures are pre-made and available at your dentist’s office. They are not custom fitted and are set into gum sockets immediately upon removal of your teeth. While these offer the convenience of walking immediately out of the dental office with your new teeth in place, once gum tissue heals and swelling reduces they may shift and become loose. This issue requires follow-up visits for your dentist to make adjustments. People with immediate dentures may also have difficulty speaking, or experience a “clicking sound” when talking.

Conventional full dentures can be made 8 to 12 weeks after tooth loss or removal. Once the gums have healed, your dentist takes a series of impressions of your mouth to be sent away to a dental lab to create your dentures. This process may require multiple visits to your dentist to ensure a proper fit and correct bite. While this process takes longer and is more involved than immediate dentures, you will achieve a more secure and personalized fit. Both conventional and immediate dentures require the use of denture adhesives to keep them securely in place.

For an even more custom, natural looking and secure denture option, implant dentures are an excellent alternative. With implant dentures, small implants are placed in the jaw where they heal in place surrounded by the bone. The denture then snaps into the implant with attachments under the denture. These attachments keep the denture stable, providing more comfort and confidence. You do not have to worry your dentures will slip or fall out while you are eating, talking, or laughing. Implant dentures do not require the use of any denture adhesives.

Talk to your dental professional to determine the best use of denture technology to ensure many years of a confident and comfortable smile.

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Do’s for Denture Care:

1. Do Remove Your Dentures at Night:
Take your dentures out before going to bed to allow your mouth tissues to rest from the pressure of wearing them all day.

2. Do Clean Your Dentures Daily:
Clean your dentures with either a mild detergent or a special denture cleaning solution, using a soft-bristled brush to maintain their hygiene.

3. Do Handle Your Dentures with Care:
Always handle your dentures carefully to avoid dropping them. Use gentle cleaning techniques to prevent any permanent damage.

4. Do Pay Attention to Changes in Fit:
If you notice any discomfort or irritation, it could indicate a problem with the fit of your dentures, or even potential gum disease. Stay vigilant to changes.

5. Do Continue Regular Dental Checkups:
Even with dentures, regular visits to your dentist are essential. Routine checkups ensure the optimal fit and function of your dentures while maintaining your overall oral health.

Don’ts for Denture Care:

1. Don’t Let Your Dentures Dry Out:
Soak your dentures in mild denture solution or water overnight to prevent them from drying out and losing their shape.

2. Don’t Use Hot Water:
Avoid soaking your dentures in hot water, as excessive heat can cause warping, which may result in a poor fit.

3. Don’t Neglect Your Oral Care:
Even if you wear full dentures, you should continue to care for your gums. If you wear partial dentures, continue to brush and floss your remaining natural teeth regularly.

4. Don’t Attempt to Adjust or Repair Your Dentures on Your Own:
If your dentures become ill-fitting or damaged, do not try to fix them yourself. Visit your dentist for an evaluation and necessary adjustments.

By following these simple guidelines, you can help maintain the beauty, comfort, and functionality of your dentures, ensuring they serve you well for many years to come. If you’re missing some or all of your teeth, dentures can significantly improve both your appearance and the quality of your life.

Take the first step towards optimal oral hygiene. Reserve your dental appointment at our Ottawa dental office now and experience personalized care.

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If these issues sound familiar, there may be a solution for you. A new option is the combination of traditional dentures with dental implants, creating what’s known as hybrid dentures. This approach uses dental implants inserted directly into the jawbone to anchor the dentures, providing the stability and comfort previously only offered by natural teeth.

Advantages of Hybrid Dentures

1. Improved Stability: Hybrid dentures are much more stable than traditional ones, allowing for better chewing capabilities and the ability to enjoy foods you might have had to avoid, like crisp vegetables or tough meats. This opens up a wider variety of foods, helping to maintain a balanced diet and avoid digestive issues.
2. Smaller Dentures: With the increased stability from the implants, the dentures themselves can be smaller and more comfortable. Traditional dentures often cover the roof of the mouth, which can affect taste and feel, but implant-supported dentures allow for an open roof, enhancing your ability to enjoy food and providing a more natural feel for your tongue.
3. Bone Preservation: Dental implants also help stimulate the jawbone, similar to natural tooth roots. This prevents bone shrinkage, which is common after tooth loss, and helps maintain the shape of your face and the fit of your dentures.

If you’re a denture wearer and want a more secure and comfortable experience, consider discussing with your dentist how hybrid dentures could improve your dental health and quality of life.

Are dental issues holding you back? Take control of your oral health by booking an appointment with our experienced team at our Ottawa dental office.

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• You don’t visit your dentist twice a year for regular checkups and routine cleaning. Gum disease and tooth decay are the leading causes of tooth loss; therefore, it is critical to be proactive with dental care to prevent problems that could cause the need for extraction.

• You have gums that are swollen, tender, red, or bleeding which are indications of periodontal disease. Left untreated, gum disease is the primary cause of adult tooth loss.
• Your teeth have become loose, are shifting, or have developed wider gaps between them that can indicate bone loss from gum disease.
• You have severe tooth pain that could be a sign that decay has progressed and is attacking the nerve at the center of the tooth. Once tooth decay has advanced, it is more likely your tooth will need to be removed.
• You are already missing several of your teeth. If you are missing more than two teeth, it is important to replace them with some sort of prosthesis to keep pressure off of your remaining teeth.
• It is difficult for you to eat hard candy or chewy foods, which may indicate a cracked tooth, cavities, or gum disease.
• If you suffer from recurring stomach aches or indigestion, it may be a sign of dental problems. When you can’t chew properly, you end up swallowing larger pieces of food which is hard on your digestion.

Tooth loss does not happen overnight. With proper oral hygiene and regular dental visits, you may be able to avoid or delay the need for dentures in your future.

We look forward to seeing you in our Ottawa dental office

The post Warning Signs Dentures May be in Your Future appeared first on PermaSmile! Dentistry@Slater.

Just hearing the word “dentures” might give you pause, reminding you of your older relatives, but achievements in dental restorative therapies enable your dentist to craft a removable prosthodontic for you that will not only look, but will feel like your natural smile.

Removable prosthodontics include:

• Partial dentures correct gaps when only a few of your natural teeth are missing. A partial denture may be the best choice if your remaining teeth aren’t strong enough to support a dental bridge.
• Overdentures provide restorations when one or more of your natural teeth are in place in an arch – typically two teeth for a bottom overdenture and four teeth for an upper overdenture.
• Immediate dentures are put in place following an extraction, allowing the bone and gums to recover following an extraction procedure. They prevent the adjacent teeth from collapsing upon the empty space and affecting your bite.
• Complete dentures are for edentulous patients (patients with no teeth at all) and are designed to replace all of the teeth in one or both arches of your mouth, restoring your smile and your ability to eat and speak clearly.

Because of advancements in materials and techniques, many dentures can be mistaken for natural teeth. Only you – and your prosthodontist – will know your secret. Talk to your prosthodontist today to see what removable prosthodontics can do for you. Don’t wait to begin enjoying your life with your new, healthy smile.

If you need a dentist in Ottawa contact us today

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The main reasons that many people consider getting dentures include:

• Eating – your teeth help you to chew and eat food. Dentures serve the same purpose, allowing you to eat a normal diet without having to stick only to soft foods or liquids.
• Speaking – when the gaps in your smile have been filled, your ability to speak more clearly and easily is improved.
• Smiling – replacing missing teeth gives you back your self-confidence to smile and laugh again. You will be proud of your new smile and be willing to display it more often. Also, your cheeks will have a fuller look and your appearance may look younger.

When you get dentures, expect that it may take some time to get used to them. They may feel strange at first, and you should be patient while you learn to talk and eat with them. Time will help you adjust to the dentures, but if discomfort lingers you should visit your dentist to make sure the fit is correct and no adjustments are necessary.

We look forward to seeing you in our Ottawa dental office

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If this sounds familiar to you, there might be alternatives for you. One of the newest developments in dentures is the pairing of standard dentures with dental implants. The dental implants are placed directly into your jawbone, providing the kind of stability only previously offered by natural teeth. Dentures fixed in the mouth with dental implants become something new: hybrid dentures.

Dentures that utilize dental implants as their anchors are very stable. They enable denture wearers to enjoy foods previously denied them, such as crisp, healthy foods or chewy cuts of meat. Eliminating the food restrictions present for many denture wearers allows them to eat a wider variety of foods, helping to reduce the risk of poor nutrition and the poor health associated with it, including digestion difficulties.

Because of this increased stability, the denture itself can be made smaller. A standard denture covers the roof of the mouth completely, inhibiting the taste and texture of foods. A denture designed around dental implants, however, has an open roof and facilitates a greater enjoyment of foods of all kinds, as well as a more natural feel for your tongue.

Dental implants also stimulate bone by mimicking natural tooth roots. This stimulation allows the bone to continue to be strong and alive, whereas the bones of the face can begin to shrink once a tooth has been extracted. This bone shrinkage leads directly to poor denture fit. Dental implants used with dentures avoid this issue.

If you are a denture wearer and you’d like to see some changes in how your dentures fit, talk to your dentist to see how using dental implants can improve your denture experience.

We look forward to seeing you in our Ottawa dental office

The post How Dental Implants Changed Dentures Forever appeared first on PermaSmile! Dentistry@Slater.

Issues with stability and retention of standard dentures mean that many wearers have food restrictions, including healthful and fresh foods they previously enjoyed with their healthy natural teeth. Some of the most nutritious foods available are problematic for denture wearers, making chewing difficult. Because so much of the digestion process begins in the mouth with the mastication of food, poorly chewed food can cause digestion difficulties and eventually be a factor in overall poor health.

Standard dentures can also affect the enjoyment of eating the foods that are allowed. They can be bulky, especially on the roof of the mouth, taking away a large part of savoring the texture and flavor of foods.

Hybrid dentures address all of these issues. They are crafted so that the roof of the mouth remains completely open and uncovered. Texture and flavor are enhanced over typical dentures. Hybrid dentures are affixed firmly with four or more dental implants functioning as anchors. These denture anchors are extremely secure and stable, giving the wearer the confidence to eat, drink, and speak.

Talk to your dentist today to see if hybrid dentures can improve your life. Experience the positive effects of hybrid dentures as your put your best smile forward with confidence that it looks and functions virtually identically to your natural teeth and gums.

If you live in the Ottawa area contact us today

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Made from titanium, dental implants are screws that are surgically placed directly into your jawbone. They are light and malleable, but durable and strong. The titanium screws are implanted into your jawbone and given time to heal. Once healing is complete, one or multiple crowns are placed on top of the implant to recreate your missing teeth. One implant can hold more than one screw, so it is possible to attach as many crowns as needed to replace your missing teeth.

Dental implants look so much like real teeth that others won’t even be able to tell that you have any artificial teeth. You might even forget about it yourself, as they feel real as well. Since the implants are securely placed in your jaw, they are as strong as real teeth and you are able to chew and bite anything that you would normally eat. Another great thing about implants is that they don’t impact any of your adjacent healthy teeth. While bridges and dentures can sometimes damage neighboring teeth because those teeth are necessary for support, implants avoid this problem. You are left with a fully restored and comfortable smile.

We look forward to seeing you in our Ottawa dental office

The post Dental Implants: An Alternative to Dentures and Bridges appeared first on PermaSmile! Dentistry@Slater.

• Do take your dentures out before going to bed, allowing your mouth tissues to rest from wearing them all day.
• Don’t let your dentures dry out. Soak them in mild denture solution or water while you sleep.
• Do clean them daily with either a mild detergent or special denture cleaning solution and a soft-bristled brush.
• Don’t soak them in very hot water, as this could cause them to warp, and they will no longer fit properly.
• Do handle them with care. Dropping your dentures or treating them with strong cleansers or harsh brushes can do permanent damage.
• Don’t neglect your oral care for the rest of your mouth. Even patients with a full set of dentures need to take care of their gums, and if you have partial dentures you should continue to brush and floss your remaining teeth regularly.
• Do pay attention to changes in the fit or feel of your dentures. Problems with fit can lead to irritation and discomfort, and could also be an indication of gum disease.
• Don’t try to adjust or repair your dentures on your own. If your dentures are ill-fitting or damaged in any way, schedule an appointment with your dentist to have them evaluated.
• Do continue to see your dentist for regular checkups to help maintain your best oral health and check your dentures for fit and function.

If you are missing all or some of your teeth, dentures can greatly improve both your appearance and the quality of your life. By following these simple guidelines, you can maintain the beauty and functionality of your dentures for many years.

We look forward to seeing you in our Ottawa dental office

The post The Do’s and Don’ts of Denture Care appeared first on PermaSmile! Dentistry@Slater.