We Provide for All Your Dentures Needs
One significant need we recognize in our patients is solutions for replacing missing teeth. It's vital that we help restore your ability to eat the foods you love, eliminate discomfort, and give you plenty of reasons to smile. Our team offers numerous tooth replacement options, but dentures are among the most comprehensive.
Dr. Stephen Glass is an experienced general dentist devoted to serving patients with a team of dedicated specialists at one location. This convenience not only saves time and money but also promotes more effective collaboration, which yields better results. The team includes:
- Board-Certified MD Anesthesiologist for safe and accurate sedation when required.
- Board-Certified Oral Surgeons for teeth removal, grafting procedures, and dental implant placement.
We also provide 3-D Cone Beam CT imaging here, so you won't need to go anywhere for additional imaging.
How Common Are Dentures?
According to U.S. Census data and other statistics, more than forty million Americans wear full or partial dentures. When broken down by age, half of us depend on dentures daily by age 55. By 65, six out of ten people use dentures.
This need is behind numerous denture advances, from better materials and construction to improved design and stability. Dr. Glass, Dr. Edgar, and their team of dental professionals are experts in replacing lost teeth. As a result, we can assess your situation and recommend the ideal denture to restore your smile.
One of my favorite areas of dentistry is removable prosthodontics (dentures). Many dentists avoid them because fabricating a great set of custom dentures is not easy. However, I find them rewarding because of how dramatically they can improve a person's life. It makes me feel good to see a patient's smile when they look in the mirror for the first time! Usually, the response is, 'I can't believe it!'
If you currently wear dentures that you're unhappy with or think you may need custom dentures, please come for an evaluation. We often can create a set of gorgeous dentures in just a few appointments.
You also may be a candidate for dental implants. This option can drastically enhance your denture's function. In addition, recent advances in denture technology have made it possible for us to use implants that quickly secure your dentures, so you never have to worry about them unexpectedly coming out.
– Dr. Glass
A Personalized Approach to Replacing Missing Teeth
The first question we ask when providing dentures concerns your existing teeth in both arches. If you have natural teeth, we will determine if they can be saved, influencing how we handle the spaces in between.
- With some remaining healthy teeth, your options are a removable partial denture, dental implants with crowns, or a dental bridge.
- Whenever possible, we will try to save existing teeth with long-term viability.
- We must address any underlying issues, such as decay and gum disease.
- We often save teeth from gum disease through laser gum treatment (LANAP™).
- To keep your remaining teeth, we want you to be committed to routine dental maintenance at home and in the dental office for LIFE.
- Please note that not all people are candidates for implantology.
Upper Arch Options
A complete denture relies on underlying muscle and tissue to position the appliance securely. A denture alone can provide missing facial support and an attractive smile, but it also has some limitations. One is reduced chewing efficiency and does not prevent bone loss. With good bone health, a complete upper denture is satisfactory. But if the ridge that supports it is limited, your denture can easily slip and cause sore areas. In addition, as you age, the bone in your dental arch diminishes, creating a poorer fit. If this erosion of bone tissue persists, adding dental implants may be challenging, if not impossible. So for dental implants, the optimal time is when your bone support is still strong.
Complete dentures with mini implants can be an economical way to attach a lower denture, but they are more challenging on the upper arch because the bone in this area is softer. As a result, you need more mini implants, and their long-term success may be limited. But they work well where your existing bone for regular implant placement is limited.
Adding a couple of implants to a denture maintains bone health and increases chewing efficiency for a better quality of life. Two implants can be an option for the upper arch but are more straightforward in the lower arch, where the bone is not as soft. However, due to bone support limitations, this may still be one of the only options available for your upper arch.
When we add four or five implants, denture retention and bone regeneration significantly improve. With favorable conditions, we can fabricate a palateless denture. This allows your tongue to touch your upper palate, which is more comfortable, especially for those with a severe gag reflex. Your underlying bone support will dictate your implants' locations and placements. The advantages are even better bone support in the arch, improved retention, and better chewing efficiency. You can remove this denture, but when in your mouth, it feels fixed. We sometimes recommend retaining the palate in your denture fabrication for extra support and will discuss this option.
When added to four or five regular implants, a precision bar splints the implants together for extra support. With this method, your denture attaches to the bar for the highest level of stability and retention from any removable option. Of course, this denture can be removed, but it feels entirely stable when attached to your mouth.
A wholly fixed denture requires four to six implants and is distinguished by being non-removable. This appliance requires persistent maintenance to prevent implant failure because even a single failed implant can affect the whole denture. Therefore, this option is only can removable by your dentist.
Lower Arch Options
A Complete Denture in your lower arch relies on underlying muscle and bone tissue for support. Unfortunately, these also do not maintain bone health or optimum chewing efficiency. In fact, for patients with full dentures in their upper and lower arches, the lower is usually the least satisfactory because your tongue and other soft tissues may interfere with an optimum fit. Additionally, a lessening ridge to support the lower denture causes sore areas to develop. With age, this bone loss will make it more and more challenging to achieve a good fit. This is why we recommend dental implants for the lower arch whenever possible since your bone mass will only disappear as time goes on.
A complete denture with mini implants can also be an economical solution for a lower denture. We sometimes place mini implants where your existing bone is too limited for regular implants. We will recommend regular implants if possible where your denture's long-term success is a higher priority.
A complete denture supported by a pair of regular implants maintains bone health and increases chewing efficiency. In addition, we find that patients are typically much happier and enjoy a better quality of life with a denture supported by regular dental implants. Usually, we place implants in the lower arch where bone support for just two is more favorable when compared to the softer bone in your upper arch.
When supported by four or five regular implants, you will enjoy greater denture retention and improved bone health. With this number of implants, your underlying bone structure will determine their placement and locations. This option dramatically enhances bone regeneration in your arch, as well as improved chewing efficiency and unparalleled stability. Many patients find this to be an excellent option! You can use this denture when needed, but it feels completely fixed in place when you have it in your mouth.
A complete denture supported by four to five regular implants with a precision bar attaches the denture over a precision milled bar that splints the implants together for extra support. Among removable options, this option provides the most support and retention. This denture feels fixed when it's in your mouth, but it can be removed.
A completely fixed denture requires four to six implants. Its main benefit is that it's non-removable. As a result, you need a commitment to frequent maintenance so you can avoid implant failure. One failed implant can affect the whole denture, and this option can only be removed by your dentist.
The Issue of Facial Collapse
When people avoid replacing missing teeth, the resulting bone loss is primarily why they look so much older. The chewing action of natural teeth stimulates bone regeneration, keeping your jaw dense and healthy. But lost teeth allow your bones to atrophy. As bone mass melts away, you can experience numerous issues. For the ideal solution to prevent facial collapse, we recommend dental implants. The implant stimulates your jaw much like your original tooth, maintaining a strong and vital structure. If implants for you aren't possible, we will ensure that your dentures fit well so they can do their part in preventing bone loss.
As an adjunct to implant dentures, we may provide a precision bar for more reliable connections between your denture and implant posts. We offer this and numerous other specializations to make your denture the ideal tooth replacement technology for your unique situation.
We Also Offer Timely Denture Repair
Part of our extensive denture experience is that we offer a full denture lab within our Spring, TX, dental office. This allows us to reline ill-fitting dentures, repair numerous types of breaks and add teeth to a denture where necessary. Because we perform this service in-house, we can complete even extensive repairs quickly and efficiently. We can also advise you about denture options that might significantly improve your existing appliance.
Regardless of your denture needs, we can provide professional solutions to improve your life.
Conventional and Implant Dentures in Spring, TX
The Advanced Dentistry of Spring team is dedicated to replacing missing teeth with the best fitting and functioning dentures available today. To learn more about which options might match your needs best, we invite you to call and speak to a team member.
We're happy to serve both new and existing patients, and we look forward to providing the best possible denture for our friends and neighbors so they can enjoy a whole and rewarding life and a stunning smile to go with it.
