Hope Restorative & Cosmetic Dentistry

Can Dentures Look Nice?

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I’m 39 years old and the victim of a bad gene pool with teeth. Because I couldn’t keep up with all the work I needed, my dentist suggested I just get dentures. While I was happy to be out of pain all the time, they don’t look very natural so I find it a little awkward to smile. I realize they are fake teeth, but can they be made to look natural, maybe even pretty?

Evelyn

Dear Evelyn,

Woman with beautiful smile
The key to a beautiful smile is going to the best dentist

I’m very sorry you are facing this. It’s amazing how much genetics plays a factor in how our teeth end up. You can do everything right and still struggle with your oral health.

I don’t think your dentist is serving you well. Not only did he create unattractive dentures for you, from what I can tell he didn’t warn you about the side effects. Some of them are a danger at your age.

Dentures and Facial Collapse

An image of a woman before and after facial collapse
If dentures are worn too long it can lead to facial collapse

The biggest thing you’ll have to deal with is facial collapse. Now that your teeth are removed, your body thinks you no longer need the minerals in your jawbone, so it will slowly resorb the minerals in it to use elsewhere in your body. This will cause your jaw bone to shrink. Not only does that make you appear years older, but you’ll no longer even be able to keep your dentures in your mouth because there is nothing to support them.

The solution to that is implant overdentures. This uses four to six dental implants and anchors a pair of dentures to them. The implants prevent your jaw from shrinking. You’ll no longer be in danger of facial collapse.

Additionally, you’ll find that they fit so much better. They will be completely secure. You can eat and drink whatever you want as well as brush and floss normally. It will improve your standard of living to what it was like when you had healthy, natural teeth.

Getting Beautiful Dentures

The key to beautiful dentures is going to be the dentist. Your current dentist will NOT be able to do this. I’m even doubting that he is minimally competent. You will need another dentist.

What you want to look for first is a dentist skilled in dental implants. Ask how many cases they’ve done. What their post-doctoral training is in dental implants. What their success rate is. It should be 98% minimally.

After you find that, ideally, you’d want a dentist who is AACD accredited. Those are the dentists who create beautiful smiles. You’ll be thrilled with the results.

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

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.

For Dentures: Dentist or Oral Surgeon First?

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I’m almost 50 years old. I have avoided the dentist my entire life because of a bad experience in my teen years. Now I’m paying the price for that. If I could turn back the clock and make better choices I would. Now, I’ll just have to move on from here. I’ve lost most of my teeth and the rest aren’t going to last much longer. I need to have them removed and get dentures. My question is do I need to go to an oral surgeon before getting the dentures or does a dentist do both?

Cal

Dear Cal,

implant overdentures

To prevent facial collapse you need implant overdentures

In your place, I’d go to a dentist who can do the pre-denture surgery and the dentures. There’s much less of a chance for communication errors. Plus, there are immediate dentures which can be placed that keep you from having to wait six weeks for teeth.

Even if you decide to get dentures which do require the six-week wait, the surgeon can do stuff to prepare you gums for that to make a better fit. An oral surgeon won’t be as familiar with that.

The pre-denture surgery isn’t a difficult one and any dentist who does that will be skilled at it.

Because of your dental anxiety, it’s going to be important that you see a sleep dentist. This way you don’t have to deal with your anxiety while being treated.

An Important Consideration with Dentures

You mentioned wishing you could go back and do things over correctly. I’m hoping to keep you from making another decision you’ll regret. Once you remove your teeth, your jawbone starts to shrink. That happens because your body recognizes you don’t have teeth anymore and reassigns your minerals in the jaw to be used where they’re more useful.

After about ten years, you won’t have enough jawbone left to retain your dentures any longer. This will leave you with no way to chew food. You won’t even be 60-years-old and you’ll be on a liquid diet. This is known as facial collapse.

If you want to prevent that, it’s important you place implants in your jawbone to trick your body into thinking you still have teeth in your jaw. The best way to do this is with implant overdentures, pictured above.

This has many other benefits too. Your dentures will be fixed, which will keep them from slipping or falling out. It will also increase your chewing efficiency.

This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Jerome Cha.

Considerations When Getting Dentures

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I’m in need of replacements for all my teeth. I know dentures have improved, but I’m wondering what considerations I need to think through before choosing where to get them.

Dan

Dear Dan,

Mature couple smiling

Are dentures your best option?

I’m glad you’ve written. There are many things to take into account when you’re talking about replacing teeth. First, your age. You may wonder what age has to do with it, but it is probably the most important consideration. When your teeth are extracted, your body recognizes this and reabsorbs the minerals in your jawbone that are used to help retain the roots of your teeth. It takes those minerals and places them where it believes they’ll be more useful. It’s efficient, but after about ten years or so, you no longer will have enough bone density to retain your dentures. This is known as facial collapse. So, you need to consider how long you’re planning on wearing dentures. In ten years, you’ll not have a way of eating.

There is a way to prevent this problem. You need prosthetics placed into your jaw bone. Your body recognizes these as teeth roots and leaves your jawbone intact. These prosthetics are called dental implants. Your dentist can place porcelain crowns on top of them to replace your teeth. That leads me to your second consideration.

Who Should Create Your Dentures or Dental Implants?

Whether or not you choose dentures or dental implants you’ll want them to be natural looking and attractive. The dentist you choose is by far the biggest factor in that. Dentures no longer have to look fake. A skilled cosmetic dentist can give you a gorgeous smile, a smile more attractive than the one you lost when your teeth were extracted. You may be wondering how you’d find that magic dentist. The easiest way is to look up an AACD accredited dentist at aacd.com.

If by chance you can’t find one in a reasonable distance to your home, try the mynewsmile.com website. They also recommend highly skilled cosmetic dentists, many of whom are on their way toward accreditation.

Implant Overdentures

The cost of dental implants is pretty steep. Few people can afford to replace each tooth with one. That’s where implant overdentures can save you a significant amount of money. This uses four or six dental implants to anchor your dentures to your jaw. Obviously, the more implants you have the better, but this is an affordable way to get started. There is also the option of snap-on dentures, which only utilizes two implants.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Jerome Cha.

Are Dentures of the Devil?

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I have chronic kidney disease. For some reason, which not even my dentist understands, since I’ve been diagnosed my oral health has taken a nose dive. I haven’t changed my habits, so I don’t exactly know what’s going on. Regardless, I’m now in the untenable situation of losing my teeth. My dentist tried valiantly to save them, especially because I’m only in my thirties, but we lost. I was horribly upset at first, especially with everything else tanking with my health, but have sort of resigned myself at this point. My dentist wants me to get dental implants. I’ve had so many medical procedures and surgeries, I am kind of surgeried out. So, I suggested dentures. He acted like I told him I’d like to worship the devil. But dentures have been used for years. Surely they can’t be that bad.

Linda

Dear Linda,

An image of a woman before and after facial collapse

If dentures are worn too long it can lead to facial collapse

First, let me express my compassion for what you’ve been going through. I have a friend with chronic health problems and it’s been a painful and helpless experience watching her suffer. I’m sure you’re suffering too. That being said, and especially because of your other health issues, I want to make sure you get the best treatment possible.

Just because something has been used for years doesn’t always mean it’s your ideal solution. Look at leeches. Yes, they can remove blood, but we have much better means of doing that now. Yes, dentures were used for years and are still in use. In the past, that’s because it was all we had available.

Now we have a much better solution. Your dentist suggested dental implants for a very good reason.

Dental Implants over Dentures

The upper arch of dentures is held in by suction. The lower arch just kind of rests on the ridge of your jawbone. While many people adjust to wearing removable dentures, others find them intolerable. They’re never secure, food gets underneath them while you eat, and even the best fitting dentures reduce your chewing capacity by 50%.

Though those things can be adjusted to, there is something much more serious in your particular case because of your age. You’re just in your 30s, which means you’ll have to wear these for many years. When you remove your teeth your body begins to reabsorb the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere.

After about 10-20 years, you won’t have enough jawbone left to support your dentures. You’ll be a dental cripple, barely able to eat. Look at the picture at the top of the page and it will give you some idea of what to expect.

Getting Beautiful Dentures or Dental Implants

Regardless of which procedure you get, you’ll want the results to look both natural and beautiful. Every dentist has a different skill level when it comes to cosmetic work. It’s hard for patients to know ahead of time which ones do beautiful, artistic work and which just barely get by.

To be safe, you’ll want a dentist who’s reached accreditation level with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). They’re among the top cosmetic dentists in the country and are sure to give you a gorgeous smile. In fact, most of them have a beautiful smile guarantee.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Jerome Cha.

30 Years of Dentures – Can My Smile Be Pretty?

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I’ve had dentures for over thirty years. I’ve spent my life embarrassed by my smile. The other day I read something that reminded me I’ve never tried to do anything about it. Instead, I accepted it as a fate I couldn’t change. Now I’m wondering. After all this time, is it too late for me to have a pretty smile?

Miranda

Dear Miranda,

You’ve got a few issues going on here. But, first let me tell you before we go into what to do that yes, you can absolutely have a beautiful smile again.

Sadly, your dentures could have been gorgeous from the beginning. Many patients feel like what their dentist gives them is as good as it gets, especially when dentures are concerned. Maybe it’s because they remembered their grandmother’s dentures looked similar. It no longer has to be that way.

It would have taken a better cosmetic dentist than you obviously had. But, gorgeous dentures are done every day by expert cosmetic dentists. Looking at Dr. Cha’s smile gallery, there are a few patients there who had partial dentures placed. You can see they are stunningly gorgeous. When it comes to beauty, it’s not the procedure nearly as much as it is the dentist.

But how do you find such a dentist? When it comes to finding the most artistic and skilled cosmetic dentists, I recommend getting a dentist who’s reached accreditation level with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).

Problems with Dentures

However, your bigger issue is not just how it looks. The downside of dentures is far greater over the long term. When your teeth were removed, your body wanted to preserve the minerals which are no longer necessary to retain your teeth. Unfortunately, that means you’ll start losing jawbone. Eventually, you won’t have enough jawbone to retain your dentures, leaving you a dental cripple.

Solution to the Problems with Dentures

Illustration of dental implants in three partsFirst, you’ll need to build up your jawbone again. This can be done with a procedure called bone grafting. This will provide you with bone again. From there, you have two choices. You can get your dentures re-done. You will have similar problems with losing jawbone all over again, along with the other types of problems which go along with dentures.

You have another option, though. My suggestion would be for you to instead of replacing your dentures to get dental implants instead. You’ll find that your quality of life goes up significantly, especially your chewing capacity.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Jerome Cha.

If I Get Dentures, will I Get Teeth Right Away?

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If I have all my teeth extracted, will I get the teeth removed and dentures put in on the same day? How does that work, am I asleep?

Cora M.

Dear Cora,

Image of Dentures

A lot what happens depends on the type of dentures you get. As for whether you’re asleep, that’s really up to you. There are several options available:

  • Local Anesthetic: Some patients prefer to stay awake for the whole procedure and just use a local so they don’t feel it.
  • Oral Conscious Sedation: Most patients prefer this option. You take a pill that makes you very sleepy and you’ll rest throughout the entire procedure. Many patients find they don’t even remember having it.
  • IV Sedation: Not all sedation dentists have this available. Dr. Cha is one of the few who does and is DOCS certified, so you’ll know you’re in safe hands.

Immediate Dentures

If you elect to have immediate dentures placed you can have your teeth removed and walk out with a full set of dentures that day. While the obvious advantage is having your dentures that day, there are drawbacks. As the swelling goes down they’ll come loose and need re-fitting. Often you’ll need several re-fittings and sometimes a new denture will have to be made when healing is completed six month’s later.

Conventional Dentures

With these, your teeth are removed and you’ll wait about eight weeks for some of the swelling to go down before your dentures are made. This has the benefit of needing fewer re-fittings, feeling better from the start, and costing less.

An Alternative to Dentures

No matter which type of dentures you choose, they both have one major drawback— facial collapse. When your teeth are removed, your jawbone begins shrinking. The reason for that is the redistribution of the minerals. Your body recognizes there are not longer any tooth roots there and assumes the bone is no longer needed. It reabsorbs the minerals to use elsewhere throughout your body. Eventually, you lose so much jawbone, you don’t have enough left to keep your dentures in.

If you get dental implants, it protects you from losing that bone structure. It does that by implanting a prosthetic root into your jaw bone. Then tops it with a porcelain crown. Your body recognizes the root and leaves the minerals where they are. For added benefit, they’re much more secure and more like having your own natural teeth back again.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Jerome Cha.

Please Tell Me I Have Options Other Than Dentures?

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I’ve stopped crying long enough to write you. I’m 28 years old. My parents never took me to the dentist. I didn’t really think about it much until last week when my new job told me I had dental insurance. That was kind of exciting. So, I was thrilled to get to go to the dentist for the first time. That feeling quickly turned from elation to despair. He told me that my teeth were a wreck and he should pull them all and replace them with dentures. He really pressured me to do it right then. I was in shock. Dentures! At my age! I burst into tears. That’s when he grew impatient and said, “What did I expect when I neglected my teeth my entire life.” I got angry and walked out. I haven’t neglected my teeth. I brush AND floss everyday, which people who have been to the dentist don’t do. Also, how was it my fault my parents couldn’t afford to take us to the dentist? Is there any chance he’s wrong? I’d think if my teeth were in that bad of shape, I’d know somehow. Wouldn’t I be in pain or even see cavities? If he’s not wrong, are dentures my only option. Please help me!

Annabelle P.

Dear Annabelle,

Tulsa Dentures

Wow! I’m not sure what to say. Mostly, I feel sorrowful that your first experience with the dentist was this negative. Not all dentists are as grumpy as the one you experienced. And they certainly would not have such a pessimistic attitude about your dental health.

You may not feel this way right now, but there is hope. In fact, I’m pretty sure you won’t need dentures at your age. I have no idea why your dentist just jumped right to dentures. That’s generally an absolute last resort, even if you do have to remove all of your teeth.

The first step for you is to get a second opinion and see what the true condition of your teeth is. Most dentists will make it their first priority to save as many teeth as absolutely possible. If you do need to have some teeth removed, dentures won’t be their top recommendation.

Alternatives to Dentures

There are several alternatives to dentures. Most of which are a better option.

Dental Implants

Tulsa Dental implant

This is the ideal tooth replacement. As you can see from the image on the left, this puts a prosthetic tooth root into your jawbone to stabilize a dental crown. The crown serves as the visible part of your teeth. The stability of the implant allows you to eat, drink, and care for your teeth as you normally would.

A Dental Bridge

Tulsa Dental Bridge

Another good option is a dental bridge. It uses the teeth on either side of the extracted tooth to anchor your new false tooth. These are especially useful when the adjacent teeth are needing crowns to begin with. It’s a little less expensive than dental implants as well.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Jerome Cha.

Please Tell Me I Don’t Have to Remove All My Teeth

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I need some advice. I have avoided the dentist for years. It’s a long story, but my fear started when I was a child after a horrible experience. I started having a toothache which was pretty bad and decided I had to go in. It was equally horrible. He told me all my teeth are bad and I need to remove them and get dentures. He tried to insist I do it then saying I’d die if I didn’t. I started to cry and he essentially said I’m being a baby and did this to myself. Then said if I’m not going to do what’s necessary, I need to leave. I left devastated thinking even if I HAD to do this I didn’t want to do it with someone so insensitive. I’d rather give my money to someone else. But, I’m only 32 years old. Are dentures really my only option? I don’t want to look like my grandma. But, I also don’t want to die.
Stacey A.

Dear Stacey,

Dental implant

Dental Implant

I’m sorry you’ve had such a disastrous experience for a second time. I want to assure you that not all dentists are like this. The behaviour of this dentist makes me question his diagnosis. First, most dentists try to save as many teeth as possible. If it’s not possible to save any teeth, the next best option is dental implants. I don’t know any dentists who would suggest full dentures. They’re a last resort kind of option because of all the drawbacks.

What I’d like you to do is get a second opinion. I’m optimistic at least some of your teeth can be saved. You only mentioned the one toothache. I don’t know if you had any symptoms of gum disease. Some ways to recognize that is gum tenderness and even bleeding when brushing your teeth. If it progresses too far, without treatment, it can cause you to lose your teeth.

As far as threatening death, a tooth infection left untreated can spread to the brain or heart, which will lead to death. Only the severely infected tooth would need to be removed, not all of them.

Whatever teeth you do end up losing, you are better suited having replaced with dental implants. That gives you a prosthetic tooth root which will protect you from losing jawbone. That shrunken look your grandmother has is from that loss of jawbone. It’s called facial collapse and is a side effect of dentures. You won’t have to worry about that from dental implants.

I also wanted to address your dental fear. Most patients with dental anxiety developed it in childhood just like you, due to a negative experience. I’ve found that many patients with dental anxiety do much better with dental sedation. The chance to have pain-free dental experiences generally changes their whole outlook on dentistry. Eventually, many don’t even need the dental sedation anymore.

It’s worth looking into, especially if you end up needing more than that one tooth worked on. It can allow you to get a significant amount of more work done than you normally could in one sitting, all without pain or stress.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Jerome Cha.

Help! I Have George Washington’s Teeth

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I read once that George Washington had fake teeth and hated them. He felt they were a constant embarrassment. You’d think in the 200 plus years since George Washington had to get dentures, things would have changed. They haven’t. I just got dentures. I’m looking in the mirror and feel like I have wooden teeth myself. I’m in tears. Please, please tell me this can be fixed. I’m willing to pay for the whole thing over again. I’m just not willing to look like this!

Christie Y.

Dear Christie,

So, here’s the thing. Things have improved. Your dentist may be a fine general dentist. He may be very skilled at fixing things. But, when you’re talking about something aesthetic, like your smile, you really want someone who is a skilled cosmetic dentist. Dentures can be gorgeous. They can not only look like your natural teeth, they can look like a stunning celebrity smile.

You can try asking your dentist for a refund, explaining how unhappy you are with your appearance. He may just return the fee, though he may keep lab fees so he doesn’t lose money. If you’re willing to get the dentures re-done, you should look for a dentist who’s reached accreditation level with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).

These are the top cosmetic dentists in the world. You will not feel like George Washington. You’ll feel like a supermodel.

I want to be sure your dentist spoke with you about the complications of dentures versus dental implants. When you get dentures, you lose jaw bone. Eventually, you won’t have enough jawbone to support your dentures.

Dental implants prevent bone loss. It is a more expensive, but it’s by far a better treatment than dentures if you’re a good candidate. It’s like having healthy teeth in your mouth. I’m worried he hasn’t talked to you about it because his skill isn’t there to perform the procedure. Talk to a qualified dentist to see if you’re a candidate and have them explain the pros and cons of ALL your options.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Jerome Cha.

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