Dentures Archives - Kentucky Dental Group

Should I Save My Last Two Teeth

Posted on September 30, 2022 by writeradmin.

I am in the unfortunate position of losing my upper teeth left and right. Soon, I will be down to just the two front ones. Here is where my dilemma is. Should I keep these two front teeth, which seem to be in pretty good shape and get two different removable partial dentures or should I remove them and get complete dentures? I understand natural teeth are better so I’ve spoken to a couple of dentists about this and they both said opposite things. My removable dentures are driving me crazy so I am hoping getting a complete denture will fix that. As it is I am having to remove the partials when I want to eat. What is best in this situation?

Arnold

Dear Arnold,

I am glad you wrote. Please know that while I can give you some general guidance here, without seeing your x-rays or examining you I can’t give a definitive answer. Take my word in generalities.

A general principle is that it is better to keep all the natural teeth that you possibly can as they are better in the long run. However, you are in a unique circumstance. You have two natural teeth and you said they seem fine. Maybe they are, but eating on just those two teeth will cause them to deteriorate quickly from the stress.

In all honesty, complete upper dentures will be a smidge more secure because they are held in by suction. However, they may still move around. One thing you could do is to get implant-supported dentures. They will completely secure your upper teeth and the ideal solution.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Going Directly to Lab for My Partial Denture

Posted on April 7, 2022 by writeradmin.

I had a good experience with my last partial denture several years ago. I needed a new one and decided I would cut out the middle man and go directly to the lab and save some money. This has not worked out as well as I hoped. Here are the problems I have had. The front tooth being replaced by this does not stay attached to the metal. He also had so much plastic backing on this that it put all the pressure on a single bottom tooth. This gave me concern that I would lose that tooth. Finally, there is a problem with the seating because it rocks when I chew which is an irritant both emotionally and physically. I’ve been back nine times for him to work on it and he just told me to stop bothering him about this. I asked for a refund and he refused. Is there any way to get my money back? I thought this would save me money, but it has been a disaster.

Andrew

Dear Andrew,

The rocking is a big problem and hints at a distorted framework. The only way to fix this would be to start over, which is why the lab’s tinkering hasn’t worked. The reason they did such a good job the first time and not when you went to them directly is almost positively because of the impression they took of your teeth. It takes specific training and skill to make a proper mold impression. They don’t do that on a regular basis so their impressions will not be as accurate. This is key in getting the denture correct.

You asked for a way to get your money back. I believe that will be simple. You may not have been aware of this but it was actually illegal for the lab to work directly with you instead of through a dentist. The lab, however, would have known that. To get your refund, I would simply tell them to either refund your money or you will testify against them. I feel certain he will be happy to give you your money back.

Your best bet in getting a great denture is through a skilled dentist. Your dentist obviously did a great job last time. If finances are difficult right now, I would speak to your dentist about that in private. Most dentists are compassionate and went into their field because they wanted to help people. They may have a way to allow you to make payments and help with affordability.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Dentist Doesn’t Want to Fix Her Teeth

Posted on November 10, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have really bad teeth and have all my life. I take care of them and go to the dentist but there always seems to be issues to fix. Recently my dentist said I’d be better off just removing my teeth and getting dentures. I’m only 32, surely we can fix these teeth?

Karlyn

Dear Karlyn,

I am going to say right off the bat that you are too young for completely removable dentures. When your teeth are removed, your body deals with that by resorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use in other places in your body that it feels they will be more useful. While it is great for natural conservation, it has the unfortunate effect of shrinking your jawbone. After ten or so years, you will look decades older and will not even be able to keep your dentures in place. This is known as facial collapse.

While I haven’t examined you, I am not convinced that at least some of your teeth cannot be saved. Different dentists have varying degrees of enthusiasm for hard work and it sounds like your teeth are hard work. I want you to find a dentist who is passionate about saving your teeth. They are out there.

If there are teeth that cannot be saved. The better replacement for someone as young as you are would be to get a dental implant. This uses a prosthetic tooth root that will preserve your jawbone.

One thing you can do that you may not have tried is to limit your snacking. I don’t know if you are a snacker but that can derail oral health. This is because our saliva is the greatest defense we have against decay. If you don’t have breaks between meals without snacking, your saliva doesn’t have the time it needs to do its job. I would limit yourself to no more than one snack a day. You may already be doing this, but it was worth mentioning.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Can’t Keep My Dentures In

Posted on July 14, 2021 by writeradmin.

I am sixty-two years old and have been in dentures for close to thirty years. In recent months, I cannot keep them in for anything. Is there anything I can do to fix this?

Jane

Dear Jane,

Your upper dentures are held in by suction, so those generally have less trouble staying in. The bottom dentures, however, simply rest on the ridge of your lower jawbone. The big problem with that is a condition known as facial collapse. When your teeth were first removed, your body recognized you no longer had teeth roots. To maintain efficiency in your body, it immediately began resorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use in other places in your body that it perceives will be more useful. After twenty years or so, you will no longer have enough bone left in your jawbone to retain your denture. This is what you are currently facing.

The solution to this is to have a bone grafting procedure done. This can be done outpatient and will build up the missing bone. This will give you back the jawbone you need. From there, you will have two choices. The first option is to simply get a new denture to wear. It will stay in. The problem with that is you will find that you will again start losing bone structure. The cycle will start over again.

A better option would be to get implant overdentures. This uses four to six dental implants and then anchors a denture to them. The benefits of dental implants are significant. In relation to the facial collapse issue, the implants signal to your body that you still have teeth. Because of that, it will leave your jawbone intact and you will not have to worry about your jaw shrinking. You will also love the security that comes with them. They don’t slip and slide. You never have to worry about them falling out. Additionally, you will find that your chewing capacity increases substantially, allowing you to eat whatever you want.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Will Medical Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Posted on May 28, 2021 by writeradmin.

I had to get dentures on my upper teeth. I am having an almost impossible time with the dentures. The upper plate makes me gag. I think getting those implant dentures will help. However, I do not have a ton of money. Will insurance cover these. When I first had to lose the teeth, I got the dentures because they were cheap, but I don’t think I can live with them. I’m hoping my medical insurance will cover this because I can’t wear the dentures and I need teeth.

Phoebe,

Dear Phoebe,

Many patients struggle with the denture plate, especially those with a strong gag reflex. Getting implant overdentures will be a big help. There will be no need for a denture plate. You will feel like you have normal teeth. That’s the good news. The bad news is your medical insurance will not cover even a single dollar. If you have dental insurance, it will cover your dental implants in part. Don’t expect it to cover all of it. However, it will be worth it.

One thing to be aware of is you don’t want to let just any dentist do this procedure. It is not taught in dental school. Whoever does the procedure needs to have post-doctoral training in dental implants. In addition, you want to make sure they also have enough experience to document a reasonable success rate, which should be no lower than 95%.

In most cases, you would pay for this procedure in two payments. The first when you start the implant procedure. The second when it is time for the dentures. If cost is still an issue, there are dentists who will be willing to work with you. They often advertise as affordable dentists. They will allow you to break up payments even further. Some have in-house payment plans. Some work through Care Credit, which is a very affordable medical credit card.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

30 Years in Dentures

Posted on March 15, 2021 by writeradmin.

I have been wearing dentures for a bit over 30 years and have never liked my smile. My teeth have always looked fake. Is there a way to get a pretty smile with dental implants or is it too late for me?

Karen

Dear Karen,

The overall answer to this question, is yes, you can get a beautiful smile with dental implants even after 30 years of wearing dentures. In that amount of time, you will have lost quite a bit of the bond structure in your jaw. This is because your body began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere as soon as your teeth were removed. In that amount of time you have been with dentures, I expect you are having a difficult time keeping them in place.

Because of this, you will need an additional procedure, known as bone grafting, in order to have enough bone structure to securely retain dental implants. Once that is done and you have had time to heal, you can get the implants placed. While some dentists do both the surgery and implant crown, others will send you to an oral surgeon. If you are going to an oral surgeon, it is imperative you see the dentist first and that the dentist is the one who plans the implant placement, not the other way around.

When you are talking about replacing all your teeth, it is too cost prohibitive to place a dental implant for each missing tooth. Instead, you will place between four to eight dental implants per arch and anchor dentures to them. These are called implant supported dentures. You mentioned your current dentures look fake. It doesn’t have to be that way. You simply need to find an artistic cosmetic dentist who uses quality materials that will not wear down quickly.

The image directly above, with a man and a woman, shows how lovely and natural dentures can look. The gentleman wanted a more subdued, natural looking smile, while the woman wanted a bright, white, young looking smile. Both have implant supported dentures.

Be certain to research the artistic skills of whatever dentist you are thinking to have do this. Look at their smile gallery to see the before and after images of actual cases they have done.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. Weaver.

Do I Have to Pay for a Badly Done Denture?

Posted on February 27, 2021 by writeradmin.

I needed to get my implant denture re-done. I spoke to a dentist and explained that I am transferring to a new city in twelve weeks and asked how long it would take him to make a new denture for me. He said three weeks. On week TEN they finally arrived, but it didn’t fit properly. It took a considerable amount of time for him to attach it. I ended up going back the next day because of the pain I was in and saw one of his colleagues, who said the holes needed to e re-fitted. I am completely out of time to get this re-done. Do I have the right to ask for a refund?

Andie

Dear Andie,

You are well within your rights to ask for a refund on this denture. He promised you three weeks, which is considered a contract. He was significantly late in his delivery and even then the denture was below the standard of functioning. However, with some dentists, just because they should refund your money doesn’t mean they will do so willingly.

In case that is what you will face, let me give you some points of leverage to encourage him to have more integrity about this. First, tell him you will be forced to leave a bad review in order to warn other patients from facing the same problems you have. It might help to tell him that if he cooperates you can leave a review saying that he had integrity and refunded your money when the work didn’t go as planned and you were moving.

If that doesn’t work, the second step is to tell him that you will go to the dental board. Most dentists would prefer to avoid that at all costs. The next step would be a lawsuit, but that is expensive and will eat up your time.

Three weeks is the right amount of time for him to make this denture. The fact that it took much longer makes me think it was the dental implant part that was throwing him. Dental implants require post-doctoral training. He may not have invested in that training. Too often, a dentist does not want to admit when they are in over their head so they will either try to talk you into a different procedure or give it their best shot (often with disastrous results).

I’m sorry this happened to you. Hopefully, after you secure your refund and get to your new location, you will find a dentist who has more experience and training with dental implants.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Metal Allergies, Dentures, & Dental Implants

Posted on September 30, 2020 by writeradmin.

I lost my teeth due to an extended illness. I have a severe metal allergy so my dentist said I wouldn’t be a good candidate for dental implants because they are made of metal. I thought I’d be okay with dentures. Better dentures than nothing. Unfortunately, I’m just not adjusting to them well. The plate makes me gag. Most of the time I don’t even put them in. Is there a solution for someone in my position?

Candace

Dear Candace,

There is a growting availability of metal free dental care.

You said you have a dental allergy. Do you know if that allergy includes titanium? The metal in dental implants is strictly titanium, which is quite biocompatible. It’s been used in prosthetics for decades without problems. It may be your dentist is just uncomfortable placing dental implants and therefore steered you away from it.

Let’s say for argument’s sake that you are allergic to titanium. That doesn’t mean you cannot have dental implants. These days zirconia implants are available. Not every dentist is using them yet because they haven’t been around as long os the traditional titanium ones, but I’m certain you’ll be able to find a dentist who is placing them.

I’d do a search for a metal-free dentist or a holistic dentist. They are both dentists who’d be more willing in your situation.

A Word about Dentures

You aren’t alone in finding it difficult to deal with dentures. Many patients do. The good news about implant overdentures is you won’t have to worry about that gag reflex because there will no longer be a plate necessary. You didn’t mention how long you’ve been in dentures. That will have an impact on whether you can immediately have dental implants placed or if you’ll need an intermediary procedure, known as bone grafting. The longer you are in dentures, the more your jaw bone shrinks. Make sure whoever you see does all the necessary diagnostics, including a CT scan.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John WeaeLexington, KY Dentist

My Dentures Won’t Stay In

Posted on February 7, 2020 by writeradmin.

I need some help. I’ve had dentures for over 30 years but I’m having trouble keeping them in. One of the things that my dentist said is the bone ridge is almost completely gone. He said I eventually won’t be able to wear them anymore. Is there anything I can do? How will I eat?

Danni

Dear Danni,

I know what is happening as well as the solution. Hopefully, your dentist warned you before you had your dentures placed about the dangers of facial collapse. When your teeth are removed, your body recognizes that. In an effort to be as efficient as possible, it resorbs the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in a manner it perceives more useful. After ten or so years, you begin to lose enough jawbone to notice a problem. By the time you get to thirty years, as you have, you’re in full-blown facial collapse.

The solution is bone grafting. This is a surgical procedure which builds back up the bone in your jawbone. Not all dentists know how to do it, so you may need to do some investigating. Once that is done you have two choices.

Choice Number One: Get New Dentures

Once the bone is better, you can have your dentist make you a new set of dentures. The only issue with that is you will start the same cycle again. Your body will begin the whole cycle of bone resorption again.

Choice Number Two: Get Implant-Supported Dentures

One real solution is to have dental implants placed in order to mimic your tooth roots. This signals to your body that you still have teeth. As a result, it will preserve the jaw bone there as still being necessary.

Generally, you will use four to six implants per arch. After a period of healing, which also allows time for the bone to integrate to the implants, then your dentures can be anchored to them.

Other Benefits of Implant-Supported Dentures

Aside from protecting you from facial collapse, which is a HUGE plus, you will notice right some other great benefits from implant overdentures:

Your dentures will no longer move around.

Your chewing capacity will increase.

You will no longer have to worry about sores from your dentures sliding

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

Need Advice about Dentures

Posted on December 31, 2019 by writeradmin.

I have had horrible pregnancies for literally ten years in a row. I’ve thrown up for nine months straight before I would get a few months break then I was pregnant again. As a result, my teeth are in horrible shape, especially my upper teeth for all the acid in my vomiting. I can’t afford to fix all the teeth and they are literally starting to fall apart. I keep hearing about the danger of dentures but don’t know that I have any options. What do you recommend? I only get $1000 in coverage from my insurance and if you did the math, you know I’ve got tons of children to care for as well.

Tamara

Dear Tamara,

I’m sorry for what you’re going through. You are obviously in a tough spot. The good news, if there is any, is that what you need to replace is your upper teeth. Those are much better than having to get dentures on your lower teeth. They are easier to adjust, they are more stable, and they have a higher patient satisfaction rate than lower dentures.

Just so you are aware, once you remove those teeth, your body will begin the shrink the bone that was holding those teeth in place. It does that to be as efficient with the minerals in your body as possible.

If you are able to, I’m going to suggest leaving as many upper teeth as possible. You can get a cu-sil partial denture (pictured left) which allows you to keep your healthy natural teeth. If you end up losing them, it is fairly easy for the dentist to fill that hole with another false tooth.

I know you don’t have a lot of money, but I would be as careful as you possibly can given your circumstances to not miss any appointments for your cleanings and checkups from here on out. I do realize the challenge with that when you have so many children. However, losing your lower teeth is much more serious. You’ll save a TON of money catching things early rather than waiting until you are rushing to save them.

This blog is brought to you by Lexington, KY Dentist Dr. John Weaver.

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