Hope Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry

Archives for December 2018

Husband Can’t Wear His Dentures

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I’m worried about my husband. He got dentures, but he can’t wear them. We’ve been back several times for refittings, yet nothing seems to work. I don’t know how to help him. He’s miserable and can barely eat without his bottom teeth. Do you have any advice?

Carolyn

Dear Carolyn,

illustration of dentures beside a dental implant

It sounds like your husband is really suffering. It is not uncommon for patients to have an adjustment period to dentures. For some, it’s quite difficult. Usually making adjustments helps. Others never adjust. This is a chance to evaluate what his next steps are.

If he’s determined to stick with dentures, he could go to a different dentist to try someone else’s hand at refitting his dentures. Another option is a prosthodontist. They have more experience than some of your local dentists, depending on where you live.

An Alternative to Dentures

If he just can’t adjust, he has another option. Dental implants are a fantastic tooth replacement option. These put prosthetic tooth roots into his teeth. He will no longer be in pain. It’s more like having healthy, natural teeth back.

However, there is an even better reason to get them. When his teeth were removed, his body started slowly leeching the minerals out of his jawbone to use elsewhere in his body. It does that to be efficient. This is causing his jawbone to slowly shrink. Eventually, there won’t be enough jawbone left for his denture to stay in place. Dentists call this facial collapse.

Getting dental implants prevents this from happening. Because the prosthetic root is placed in his jawbone, his body interprets this as him having teeth and needing his jawbone. This will change his life. He’ll be able to eat again. In fact, he can eat anything he wants, even steak.

If you decide to go the implant route, make sure your husband sees an experienced and qualified implant dentist. It’s an advanced procedure and requires significant post-doctoral training. For instance, Dr. Cha took every course on it the Misch Institute offered and is a Fellow at the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI).

I wish you both the best.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.

Lumineers or Porcelain Veneers

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I’m FINALLY able to get a smile makeover. I can’t tell you how excited I feel about this. I’m just having a bit of a hard time choosing. I like the idea of the thin ones called Lumineers. Originally, I thought that would look more natural. But, I’m reading a bunch of reviews which seem to be mixed. Am I better off with porcelain veneers?

Karen

Dear Karen,

A porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth

Which is more important the brand of veneer or the dentist who does them?

It’s great that you’re trying to research this. However, I’d like to redirect your question just a bit. The brand isn’t as important as the dentist which does them. A great cosmetic dentist could make any brand look stunning. But, an inexperienced cosmetic dentist could have the best materials and still create a subpar smile.

Lumineers Limitations

You should be aware that most expert cosmetic dentists aren’t extremely fond of the Lumineers brand. Much of that has to do with their lab. The DenMat company owns Lumineers and requires dentists to use their lab. Sadly, that lab isn’t known for its skill and artistry.

True cosmetic dentists will normally have a ceramist they prefer to work with that they feel produces the right results and follows their directions well.

While Lumineers brand does seem to heavily advertise as being no-prep because they’re’ ultra-thin it’s not always best practice to place porcelain veneers without any tooth prep whatsoever. The results can look bulky depending on the smile.

The Most Important Decision for Porcelain Veneers

More important than which brand of porcelain veneers you get is which cosmetic dentist you have design and place them. The artistry and skill of the dentist will make the biggest difference in the beauty of your smile makeover.

To find one of the best cosmetic dentists in your area, I recommend you go to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry website (aacd.com). The AACD has an accreditation program which helps patients looking for a good cosmetic dentist to know which dentists have the skills necessary to give them a gorgeous smile.

On their website, is a link to help find a cosmetic dentist in your area. Just be certain you check that you’re looking for one who is accredited. If there is not one in your immediate area it will be well worth a little bit of travel to get stunning results.

Best of luck. This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.

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