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Category Archives: Dentures

Your Local Geriatric Dentists Can Answer Your Questions About Dentures

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Dentures! When most people think about them, they probably imagine complete dentures – the kind that replace all teeth on one or both sides of the mouth. These dentures are taken out at night so they can be placed into a special cleaning fluid that keeps them looking fresh.

Complete dentures can be helpful for people who experienced damage or tooth decay affecting most of their teeth. When many teeth are compromised and there are only a few healthy ones, some relatively healthy teeth might be removed so complete dentures can be used.

All in all, complete dentures are the most frequent choice. However, there are actually two other types of dentures to know about!

Which Dentures Are Right for You? Don’t Forget These Less Common Options

Complete dentures are usually sought after someone experiences severe gum disease. In the later stages of gum disease, the bone that supports the teeth can be weakened and destroyed. Even if individual teeth are undamaged, they should still be removed in favor of complete dentures.

But complete dentures are really only one part of the story.

Less known are implant-supported dentures. As the name suggests, these are supported by a special set of screw-like implants placed right in the jaw bone. The implants effectively anchor the teeth, ensuring they are held steadily in place.

This eliminates some of the common concerns associated with full dentures, since implant-supported ones cannot slip or slide. Since they remain in place within the mouth, they’ll never require adhesive and aren’t subject to being dropped or coming loose while eating. That said, it’s crucial to take care of implant-supported dentures by brushing them – just like other teeth!

Removable partial dentures (RPD) are the final kind of denture. These are great in any situation where tooth loss is confined to one area of the mouth. Partial dentures rely on strong abutment teeth to support them on either side. They can be removed at night for cleaning, but are stable and secure during the day. They are usually used to replace three or more damaged teeth.

Which Dentures are Best for You? Geriatric Dentists are the Expert to Ask

Geriatric dentists are specialists who focus on the changing dental health needs of patients as they age. At Landmark Dental Group, our practice includes a number of geriatric dentists who would be glad to consult with you about how dentures can help you.

Dentures don’t have to be an inconvenience. Today’s modern dentures provide the user with true strength, stability, and a natural-looking appearance. Dentures can be a great option, helping to prevent serious dental complications while allowing you to eat, speak, and smile as you always have. Plus, dentures are often much more affordable than patients expect.

If you’re curious about dentures, you don’t have to wait. Dental discomfort and complications can be alleviated with the right approach. Contact Landmark Dental Group today to book an appointment with one of our geriatric dentists. We look forward to helping you!

Looking for a Dentist Near You? Get 2017 Started Off Right With a High-Quality Santa Cruz Dentist

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Get 2017 Started off Right with a High-Quality Santa Cruz Dentist Near You

With the new year here, it’s time to start thinking about your smile. If you’ve been neglecting your teeth, it’s time to make the resolution to get back to taking care of them. Start by finding a high-quality Santa Cruz dentist near you.

Check out what they can do for you:

Keep Your Teeth Clean and Healthy

What’s the most basic thing a Santa Cruz dentist can do for you? The answer is simple: keep your teeth clean and healthy. Regular check-ups and cleanings are a must for good oral hygiene.

And, if you’re in need of extra special care, Landmark Dental Group also offers root scaling and planing for people with gingivitis or deep pockets that hide tartar and plaque. Everyone needs to come to the dentist at least twice a year for preventative care even if you don’t have a problem. It’s the best way to stop problems before they start.

Get Your Whole Family Treated

As a family dentist office, Landmark Dental makes treating your whole family easy because they see anyone at any age. If you have a child whose first tooth just emerged, they invite you to bring your child for their first exam. You’ll learn how best to care for your child’s teeth. If you have a geriatric parent, bring them by. Older patients often have many problems such as dry mouth, gum disease, etc., that need specialized attention.

Fix Problems That Arise

Of course, even with good preventative care, problems may arise. A little too much sugar could lead to a cavity, and a lot of sugar could lead to a big crack. Your Santa Cruz dentist is there to help with fillings, crowns and extractions. They even offer tooth-colored fillings. So if you need a filling or have metal fillings, you can have them replaced with white fillings that look like natural teeth. Everyone will think you’ve never had a cavity on your life!

Get a Complete Smile

It’s so common to have one or two missing teeth, especially if you are older. This can sometimes be embarrassing, but Landmark Dental Group has you covered. They offer three different ways to replace missing teeth: dentures, dental bridges and dental implants.

Dental implants are the most durable way to replace missing teeth, but they are expensive. Whatever your budget and preferences, you’ll find a way to get the complete smile you desire.

Perfect Your Smile

So many things affect the beauty of your smile: discoloration, genetics, poor oral hygiene, etc. In the past, you pretty much had to live with an imperfect smile. However, today, there are many ways a Santa Cruz dentist can give you a breathtaking smile. Some services include teeth whitening, veneers and crowns. These are all great ways to make your smile look brighter, healthier and younger.

Stay Calm and Relaxed

Too many people have anxiety about going to the dentist, and in the past, there may have been reason, but today, going to the dentist is painless. Of course, that doesn’t always stop your anxiety. So, if you need a way to relax in the chair, choose sedation. You can choose from inhalation sedation, oral sedation and IV conscious sedation. All of them make you feel so relaxed you may fall asleep. Plus, they have some amnesiac qualities, so you won’t remember much of your visit — making it less scary to go to the dentist in the future.

Don’t neglect your mouth a moment longer. You want to be proactive with your smile, so serious problems don’t arise. For more information, contact Landmark Dental Group.

New Teeth for the New Year

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If you’d like to transform your smile in the upcoming year, and you have missing teeth, dental implants are a must to consider. Dental implants are the best way to replace missing teeth. Check out these dental implant pros and cons, and determine if they are right for you.

Pro: Most Durable Option for Missing Teeth

Without a doubt, dental implants are the most durable option for replacing missing teeth. With proper care, a dental implant may even last the rest of your life. So, why are dental implants so durable? Like natural teeth, they use your actual jawbone to support the implant. The titanium fuses to your jawbone to create a strong bond.

On the other hand, dentures simply sit on your gums, so they are hardly secured, making it possible for them to slip and move. Bridges are more durable, but they put excess stress on some of your existing teeth, which can actually become loose. Plus, if bacteria gets under the bridge, the anchor teeth are vulnerable with no enamel, and/or the bonding cement may be compromised, causing the bridge to fall out.

Pro: Replace One or More Teeth

An implant is a great option no matter how many teeth you are replacing. If you have one missing tooth, the dentist will use a single dental implant. If you have a few teeth in a row missing, the dentist can use an implant-supported bridge. It’s the same as a standard bridge, but it uses dental implants instead of teeth as anchors. Last, if you have all of your teeth missing, you can get implant-supported dentures. A few titanium implants hold your dentures in place. They are removable, but they snap into place, making them secure.

The disadvantage of bridges is that if you have several teeth missing in a row, a bridge may not be successful. There may be too much stain on the teeth. So, without an implant-supported bridge, your only other option is a partial denture.

Con: The Most Expensive Option for Missing Teeth

There’s no denying the strength of an implant, but do keep in mind that they are the most expensive option for replacing missing teeth. Expect to pay in the ballpark of $4000 for a single implant. This price increases if you need a bone graft to support the implant. And, of course, if you get multiple implants, such as a bridge or dentures, the price increases.

Bridges and dentures are a much more affordable option. Plus, insurance typically pays for some of the costs, reducing your cost even more. Even if your insurance pays for some of your implant, you’ll still have to fork out a lot of out-of-pocket expenses.

However, because implants are titanium, it’s impossible to get a cavity on this tooth. The teeth underneath a bridge are still susceptible to cavities and if this happens, the bridge option will be more expensive than the implant if it has to be replaced.

Con: Not a Good Option for People with Gum Disease

Gum disease often causes tooth loss, so if you have gum disease, you may be thinking about getting an implant. Unfortunately, if you have uncontrolled gum disease, a dentist may not recommend implants or even a bridge. You need a strong jaw to support a dental implant, which you don’t have if you suffer from severe gum disease. Also, you could develop gum disease around the implant, which exposes the titanium root.

If you have uncontrolled gum disease, you can still get dentures. However, the best option is to work with your dentist to improve your gum disease, so you can get implants.

If you have missing teeth, talk to your dentist about an implant. They are sure to give you a breathtaking smile. For more information, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

Tooth Replacement Options After Tooth Extraction

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When a tooth is severely damaged or decayed, sometimes a tooth extraction is necessary. After the tooth is pulled, however, it’s important to replace it to maintain functionality and appearance. The three common solutions to replace a missing tooth are a dental implant, dental bridge and removable partial denture.

Dental Implant

A dental implant is a titanium artificial tooth root that replaces the original tooth root. Just like your real tooth sits in your jawbone, so does the titanium root. Titanium has a special ability: it can “fuse” to bone. This process is called osseointegration – where the bone grows around the threads of the titanium screw, creating a powerful hold, which makes dental implants almost as durable as your natural teeth.

The implant process does take some time and happens in several stages. First, the dentist must place the implant into your jaw. The gum and bone is then allowed ample time to heal over the implant. Once the area is completely healed, the dentist makes an incision in the gum to reveal the implant and place an abutment, which sticks out of the gums as the area around it heals again. Last, a porcelain or gold crown is placed on the abutment.

To be a good candidate for a dental implant, you should be in good health and have healthy gums and adequate bone. In some cases, the dentist may suggest a bone graft to help add quality and quantity to the jawbone before placing the implant.

Dental Bridge

A dental bridge works much like a real bridge, but instead of connecting land, it connects teeth. Typically, a traditional bridge is comprised of at least three pieces that are connected together: a pontic, that replaces the missing tooth and two abutment crowns (one on each side of the pontic).

To place the bridge, the dentist must file down the teeth on each side of the missing tooth. The crowns on the bridge fit over these teeth, allowing the pontic to fit snuggly between them.

If you are interested in replacing your missing tooth with a dental bridge, it’s important that you have healthy teeth to support the bridge. After the bridge is placed, it’s extra important to keep the support teeth clean and healthy by flossing underneath the pontic tooth with the help of floss threaders.

Removable Partial Denture

Removable partial dentures are used to replace one or several missing teeth. They are usually designed to look like both teeth and gums because they sit on your gums, and they typically have clasps, so they can clip to remaining teeth for extra stability. However, they are removable, so the clasps are not cemented to the existing teeth.

As with dental implants and dental bridges, the dentist will need to take an impression of your mouth to build the partial denture. The dentist can do this before your teeth are pulled to craft immediate dentures or wait until the area has healed for conventional dentures. The benefit of immediate dentures is that you can wear them as soon as your teeth are pulled. However, if you have a lot of missing teeth, the bones and gums have a tendency to shrink, causing the immediate partial denture to feel loose and may eventually require a reline to tighten up the fit.

Removable partial dentures are the best replacement option if you suffer from uncontrolled gum disease or similar oral health problem because dentures don’t require you to have a firm jawbone. They are also usually the least expensive option, making them a common choice for people on a tight budget.

Tooth extraction isn’t always necessary, and if that’s the case, your dentist will discuss other options to save the tooth. However, in some cases, there’s no alternative option and there are replacement options. For more information about tooth extraction or replacement, contact Landmark Dental Group today.

The Top 4 Benefits of Dentures

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Everyone wants a flawless smile, which is why missing teeth can be an embarrassing. However, the disadvantages of having several missing teeth aren’t just cosmetic. Without teeth, it’s hard to do even the simplest everyday actions, like chewing and talking.

If you are tired of struggling with missing teeth, check out these four ways dentures can help improve your life.

1.) They Let You Enjoy Your Favorite Foods Again

Even with one missing tooth, it can become difficult to eat. If food gets stuck in a gap, you may avoid eating on one side of your mouth completely. The more teeth you lose, the harder it gets. Without any teeth, you may only be able to eat soft foods. Dentures give you back the ability to chew and bite again. There is a learning curve, so you may have to start with softer foods until you get the hang of using your dentures, and there may be some foods you’ll have to avoid, such as sticky caramel or biting into a hard apple. However, for the most part, you can enjoy most of your favorite foods again.

2.) They Allow You to Speak Clearly

Teeth aren’t just there to help you bite and chew. The front top teeth, in particular, help you to speak clearly and pronounce specific speech sounds. Many sounds are made when you press your tongue against the backs of your top teeth or when your bottom lip hits your top front teeth. Without any teeth there for your tongue or lip to hit, your speech may sound slurred or you may sound as if you have a lisp. Dentures make it possible for you to speak clearly again. It may take time for your mouth to relearn this because the teeth on the dentures may not sit exactly where your natural teeth did, but after a short time, you’ll be speaking clearly once more.

3.) They Give You Confidence

Of course, the most obvious benefit of dentures is that they give you a beautiful smile. Today, having missing teeth is such a huge stigma that it drastically affects your confidence and self-esteem — even if you’re only missing one. This confidence can help you during day-to-day interactions, improve your prospects during a job interview, or simply make you feel more comfortable smiling in public. Getting dentures helps to restore your confidence, so you can smile without embarrassment or fear again.

4.) They Make You Look Younger

Another problem people with missing teeth is premature aging. Even if you hide your missing teeth from the world by keeping your mouth shut, people will see the results of your missing teeth. Without teeth there to support the cheeks and lips, they may collapse inward, creating a hollow appearance. The facial muscles may even start to sag, and sagging skin always makes you look older than you are. Dentures fill in those hollow spaces to keep your cheeks full and plush, so in some cases, getting dentures can actually give you a “mini-facelift” as an added bonus.

The benefits of dentures are both cosmetic and functional. They give you back confidence and make you look better, but they also make eating and speaking easier. Stop struggling with missing teeth! If you’re ready to make a change or you just want more information on dentures or other tooth replacement options, contact our Santa Cruz office today.

Going above and beyond for our patients…

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A patient’s father was visiting from Peru and being that this is beautiful Santa Cruz, he decided to go for a swim in the ocean. The waves here can be somewhat sneaky, and he unfortunately lost his complete upper denture in the water. Here for a few weeks visiting lots of family and also will be travelling out of state before heading home, he quickly needed some help getting teeth back so he could continue to participate in family functions without feeling self-conscious.

Working with our long-time local lab technician, we had a brand new complete denture fabricated and delivered in under 3 days (a process that can normally take a month or more). This was also done with all necessary steps to ensure a comfortable, retentive, and esthetic result.

The patient was, needless to say, very happy with the results and we were glad we could help out!!

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