Simple Natural Dentures

Natural appearing dentures must take into consideration not only the proper arrangement of the teeth, but also the contours of natural tissue. Simply Natural Dentures are colored in a manner which is self-cleaning and has the appearance of natural healthy tissue.

To achieve a natural look with full dentures your dentist personalized individual characteristics. This is achieved through masculine or feminine tooth arrangement, proper lip support and determine of a pleasing smile line for your facial contour. One other key aspect in obtaining a natural looking denture is the type and shade of the denture teeth. For a more realistic denture, your dentist offers hand-sculpted European denture teeth at additional cost.

Valplast & Flexite - Durable & Esthetic Thermoplastic Removable Partial Dentures

Valplast is an alternative solution that your dentist provides for removable partial dentures. Since the entire partial denture is metal free and tissue shaded, they are virtually undetectable by others. Valplast is comfortable pliable and very durable. If you are missing just a few teeth, ask your dentist if Valplast would be a potential solution for you.

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Removable Partial Dentures Precision Engineered By Dr. Brody

Depending on the clinical situation, Dr. Brody may prescribe a removable partial denture solution. Usually two or more teeth will have been lost and this type of restoration is designed to replace both the esthetics and the function of the lost teeth. This restoration is designed to be removed for cleaning yet it must have a snap fit and good retention so that it's comfortable while you eat.

Your dentist combines quality materials, technique and hand crafting to precision engineer your partial denture. There are much less expensive materials but your dentist demands the best, like Vitallium 2000 chrome cobalt alloy. In addition, advanced partial denture designs such as the Estheticlasp help your dentist deliver a state-of-the-art restoration.

Advanced EsthetiClasp Design Shows No Metal

Vitallium chrome cobalt has remained the undisputed premium partial denture alloy for over sixty years. It is nickel and beryllium-free. Vitallium 2000 polishes to a brilliant mirrored finish that will feel smooth to your tongue.

As the above photographs show, in the old design, metal is visible to others when smiling. With the modern EsthetiClasp design, no metal is visible making this restorative solution virtually undetectable by others. Ask your dentist if the EsthetiClasp design will work for you.

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There are basically two (2) different types of denture relines.

• A Hard permanent reline which can either be done here at the office with an office-cured plastic or else it can be sent to the dental laboratory and processed in a laboratory cured plastic. Due to the special processing, the laboratory reline tends to last longer. Unfortunately this will require taking your denture from you for a few days. Please try to coordinate this with the Appointment Coordinator so that you may be inconvenienced for as few days as possible.
   

• A Soft reline can be done here at the office or else it can be done at the laboratory in a more permanent fashion. The permanent type, lab processed, may last up to one year without having to be replaced. The office processed soft liner tends to be more fragile and will need to be removed and replaced with greater frequency.

Denture relines are necessary in order to accomplish several goals. These goals include:

• Increasing retention of old, existing dentures or new dentures that, for one reason or another, have lost retention. Sometimes this may be due to recent extractions or alteration in the gum tissue due to other surgical procedures.
  
   

• Repairs.
  
   

• Relining of old dentures hoping to avoid the necessity of remaking them entirely.
  
   

• Gum tissue conditioning which usually relies on the gentle action of soft tissue materials ( soft liners ) to allow your abused gum tissue to return to a proper state of health prior to the fabrication of new dentures.

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What is an Immediate Denture?

You've been advised to have an Immediate Denture. But what is it and how is it done? We hope that this information will help to explain the concepts and clear up any of the questions you might have regarding this type of prosthesis.

Let me explain what an immediate denture is by using an example. Suppose, for instance, that you have eight (8) remaining upper teeth. These teeth are, unfortunately, poor and can not be utilized in any way to support a new prosthesis. If you were to have a traditional denture made, it would be necessary to have all of these teeth extracted first, the bone and gums would have to heal and then a denture could be fabricated. This process could take several weeks, if not longer, and for that time period you would have to go around without any teeth. In order to avoid this type of problem, we utilize an Immediate Denture technique. This involves taking impressions of your mouth while your teeth are still present. At the same time, when your teeth are extracted, we have a denture ready to be inserted. In this way, you never have to walk around without teeth. Immediate Dentures do present certain situations which I would like to list for you.

• Since we are unable to try in the denture prior to extracting your teeth, certain esthetic compromises may have to be made. This should not present any significant problem, however, and your esthetic result should be more than satisfactory.
   

• Since our goal is for you never to be without teeth, we will be inserting your new denture immediately after the extraction of your remaining teeth. This may seem odd, but it is perfectly normal. Typically, after the extraction of teeth, there may be some swelling. By placing your denture in immediately, this swelling can be kept to a minimum. If you did not place the denture immediately, the swelling that occurs might not allow you to wear your denture until the swelling subsided.
  
   

• It is very important that you follow the post-operative instructions of your dentist or oral surgeon very carefully. You must wear you new immediate denture for three (3) days, after the surgery, without removing it. This will help to control the swelling.
  
   

• Once healing has occurred, after approximately three (3) months, you will either need a reline of your existing denture or the fabrication of an entirely new denture. If a new one is to be made, we will then be able to make any esthetic and phonetic changes that you want within the limits of denture prosthodontics. If a new denture is to be made, you will then be able to use the immediate denture as a spare ( emergency ) denture. This can sure come in handy if your new denture should break and need to be repaired at the laboratory.

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Your Denture Softliner

What is a soft liner and why did your dentist place it in your new denture(s)?

A temporary soft liner is placed in a new or old denture in order to (1) help improve the health of your gum tissues by absorbing some of the pressures of mastication ( acts as a tissue conditioning material ) and (2) helps to determine the maximum retention possible by utilizing undercuts in the bone and gum which hard liners may not be able to negotiate without causing irritation. Soft liners will spring around these undercuts and allow for greater retention than hard liners might be able to produce in the same mouth. If we find that temporary soft liners provide enhanced retention, we will then be able to determine if we should replace them with a more permanent type of soft liner in the future or whether a hard liner is indicated.

Important Instructions

Temporary soft liners require special care and attention in order for them to produce the desired results. The following suggestions are designed to assist you in the maintenance of your new denture.
 

1. Do not remove the prosthesis from your mouth for the first 24 hours. This is extremely important ! The material that is placed in your denture will stay soft for the first 24 hours and will shape itself to your oral tissues during that first 24 hour period.
   
    

2. After the first 24 hours, you may remove the denture once every 12 hours for the first two days. At each removal, please rinse the denture with warm water only. Do not use any of the commercially available cleaners. If need be, you can brush the tooth part of the denture (the white teeth on) with toothpaste and a soft toothbrush. The softliner is still very fragile and will tear if subjected to chemical or mechanical cleaning
   
    

3. During the next week you may remove the denture as often as you like, still keeping in mind that the liner is fragile and must be treated with care. The pink plastic may be brushed gently, trying to avoid the soft liner.
   
    

4. If possible try not to use any denture adhesive, especially during the first 72 hours. We are, once again, trying to ascertain the amount of available retention. Using adhesives will only tend to confuse the issue.
   
    

5. For the first 24 hours you should try to maintain a softer diet. After that trial period, you should eat as regular a diet as possible so that the softliner can mold itself to your tissues until normal function.
   
    

6. We may be replacing this softliner on a regular basis until 1) the tissues heal adequately or 2) we have determined that the retention for your new denture is maximized. Further instructions will be given to you at that time.
    

Please be sure to bring your old dentures with you at each recall visit just in case your dentist determines that relining your softlined denture is required. This would necessitate sending your denture to the laboratory.
 

If you have any additional questions regarding this treatment process, ask your dentist.

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Root Canal Therapy:

What Is It and Why Do I Need It?

Your dentist may have suggested to you that Root Canal Therapy ( otherwise known as Endodontics ) was needed for a particular tooth. They may have briefly discussed some of the facts concerning the procedures involved in root canal therapy but perhaps you would like some more information.

Years ago, a badly infected tooth, or one that just had significant decay, was doomed to be extracted. Today the majority of these teeth can be salvaged through a procedures utilized by both the General Dentist and the root canal specialist, the Endodontist.

Extraction is truly our last resort!

Some indications of the need for root canal treatment may be:

• Spontaneous pain or throbbing while biting.

• Sensitivity to hot and cold foods.

• Severe decay or an injury that creates an abscess (infection) in the bone.

Root canal treatment consists of :

The removal of the infected or irritated nerve tissue that lies within the root of the tooth. It is this infected pulp tissue that causes an eventual abscess.

1. The first step in a root canal is to obtain access to the nerve. This is accomplished by establishing a small access opening in the top of the tooth. It will be done under a local anesthetic.
    

2. The length of the root canals is determined and the infected pulp is removed.
    

3. At the same visit, the canal where the nerve is located will be reshaped and prepared to accept a special root canal filling material. This filling procedure will probably not occur until your next visit. The number of visits necessary to complete your root canal will depend upon several factors including the number of nerves in the tooth, the infected state of the nerve and the complexity of the procedure.
    

4. The final step in your root canal will be the sealing of the root canal with a sterile, plastic material, called gutta percha This is done in order to prevent possible future infection.

The tooth will then possibly need a post and core and a crown in order to re-establish normal form and function. This decision will be based upon several additional factors.

If treated early, root canal therapy need not be uncomfortable. With the use of local anesthetics, the entire procedure can be totally painless.

Another " " is that by removing the nerve the tooth becomes " dead ". This is not true. The tooth is very much alive and functioning because it receives a source of blood supply and nerve supply from the surrounding tissues that hold it in place in your jaw bone. The tooth will have no sense of feeling to hot, cold or sweets but will be responsive to biting pressures etc. With the proper restoration the tooth should last as long as your other teeth and can even be used as an anchor tooth for a partial denture or cemented bridge. The success rates for root canal therapy have been reported to be as high as 95%..

Sometimes when there has been long standing infection or abscess, there may be some soreness associated with the first or second root canal visit. If this should turn out to be true you will be given specific instructions to follow to minimize the discomfort. When an infection is present, it may be necessary to take an antibiotic. If pain should be present, analgesics may need to be prescribed. In either case, be sure to call your dental office if either of these problems should arise.

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