Dentures: Things to Know

Dentures are removable oral fixtures that replace missing teeth and their surrounding tissues. They are a great way to restore your smile and improve your appearance if teeth are missing due to infection, injury, or tooth decay. 

Missing teeth don’t just affect your smile, but can affect your face shape. When teeth are missing, facial muscles can sag, making you look older.  Deciding to get dentures may be for cosmetic reasons or because your dentist is concerned with your overall health. 

Regardless of why you are getting dentures, here are some of the important things to know about your new smile!

Types of Dentures

Complete Dentures

There are two types of complete dentures: Conventional or Immediate. After the decayed or infected teeth have been removed and the gum has begun to heal, conventional dentures can be placed. This occurs usually between 8 and 12 weeks after the teeth have been removed. 

Immediate dentures are removable dentures that are inserted the same day the affected teeth are removed. This allows you to have teeth right away and throughout the healing process. These generally have to be realigned or corrected after the jaw has healed.

Ideally, immediate dentures are used as a temporary solution until conventional dentures can be made and placed in your mouth. 

Partial Dentures

A partial denture, or bridge, consists of a few replacement teeth attached to a gum-colored framework. This framework holds the dentures in place. Partial dentures are used when natural teeth remain in your mouth.  

A fixed bridge is a type of partial denture that is permanent. A crown is placed on the teeth on either side of the space, then attaching the artificial teeth to the bridge. This is cemented into the mouth. 

Partial dentures fill in the spaces from missing teeth, but it also prevents other teeth from shifting and changing position in the mouth. 

Denture Adhesives

Depending on why you are choosing to get dentures, your dentist may or may not recommend using a denture adhesive. 

Why Denture Adhesives are Recommended

There are 3 main reasons your dentist will recommend using a denture adhesive. 

  1. To gives individuals a sense of security with their dentures because it provides stability, bite force, and retention. 
  2. To help those with dry mouth conditions which can affect how dentures stay in their correct place. It can also help those with neurologic disabilities, stroke patients, and the elderly who have a decrease in natural saliva. 
  3. To assist those who heavily use their facial muscles – such as public speakers or musicians. 

Speak with your dentist if you have any concerns about why denture adhesives may not be best suited for you and your mouth. 

Types of Denture Adhesives

 

  • Paste: This denture adhesive is a paste, much like toothpaste. It should be applied to dry or wet dentures to act as a “cement” for your dentures. It may take some trial-and-error to determine how much paste is needed for a secure fit, but if the paste oozes out of the denture tray, use less. A few dots of paste on the upper and lower jaw denture trays is recommended. 
  • Powder: Powders are preferred by many denture wearers because it is easier to clean. A thin layer of powder is sprinkled across the tissue-bearing surface of the denture. When pressed into place, the powder acts as glue that holds dentures in place. 

 

Taking Care of Your Mouth and New Dentures

New dentures can make your mouth feel sore and uncomfortable until you get used to them. You may feel like they are slightly loose as the muscles in your face and mouth learn to keep them in place. Minor issues like irritation, soreness, and increased saliva will decrease as you grow accustomed to your new dentures. 

No matter what kind of dentures you wear, practicing good oral hygiene is important to keeping them looking nice and your surrounding gums healthy. 

  • Rinse your dentures before brushing
  • Soft-bristled toothbrushes and non-abrasive cleaners are recommended so they don’t scratch
  • When you are not wearing your dentures, keep them in water to prevent them from warping.
  • If you use adhesives, use a dentist-recommended adhesive cleanser. 

Be sure to have regular dentist appointments to ensure your dentures fit well and are not damaging your surrounding teeth or bone structure. Having your teeth cleaned professionally is very important. 

If you would like to learn more, please do not hesitate to give us a call or contact us to book an appointment.

Teeth Whitening: Options and Treatment Types

Having a beautiful, dazzling smile is something everyone wants, right? With so many options out there, it can be difficult to know what will work best for you and your teeth. Professional whitenings can reverse damage caused by smoking, aging, dark beverages, and acid. Drugstore whitening products are also effective, but have a more temporary effect on your smile. 

Recent dental industry surveys have found that teeth whitening is one of the most popular cosmetic dental treatments performed in dental offices. Achieving a brilliant smile is possible, but that’s why it is important to know your options and what treatments are available. 

Teeth Whitening Options

There are four main categories of teeth whitening options on the market, and you will want to ensure you are choosing the safest and most suitable option for your smile. 

Regardless of how you decide to whiten your teeth, the primary agent to whitening products is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). What differentiates these options and treatments types apart from one another is the amount and concentration of hydrogen peroxide. Higher levels of H2O2 means better results, however, at-home kits keep evolving and offer the possibility of whiter teeth at a reduced cost. 

In-Office Whitening Treatments

In-office treatments use a concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution and typically guarantees effective results. There are two different in-office treatments available:

  • Kool Lite whitening: This is a quick, 15 minutes, in-office tooth whitening procedure. It uses a gel-lined tray and LED light to activate the whitening ingredients in the gel. A whiter smile is achievable in just minutes. 
  • One-hour, side-chair whitening: The dentist applies whitening gel to the teeth manually and applies a special light to accelerate the process. This laser whitening process can be done as many times as needed to achieve the desired shade of white. 

In both treatment options, special precautions are taken to protect the gums and soft tissue from the whitening agents. While this is the most effective teeth whitening option, there are a few drawbacks associated: lengthy time in the chair, more expensive, increased change of tooth sensitivity. 

Prescribed Kits

Your dentist might prescribe an at-home whitening kit. These have less hydrogen peroxide than an in-office whitening process, but more than whitening strips, gels, or toothpastes. To prepare for optimal results, your dentist will take an impression of your teeth to create custom whitening trays. Special whitening gel is placed inside the trays, which then fit around your teeth. It is important to follow your dentist’s instructions carefully so your progress can be properly assessed.  

Over-the-Counter Whitening Solutions

Drugstores, grocery stores, and large chain stores have a variety of over-the-counter whitening solutions available. Because they are available without a prescription, there is a lower amount of hydrogen peroxide. These options contain bleaching agents and ingredients taht can harm the gums if not applied properly. Over-the-counter products include:

  • Gels
  • Chewing gum
  • Rinses
  • Toothpastes: Whitening toothpastes typically only remove surface stains, although there are “advanced whitening” products that can also reach deeper than the surface and provide whiter results. 
  • Paint-on films: These paint-on films contain 6-8% hydrogen peroxide. It is applied with a brush directly to your teeth. You can use this to lighten individual teeth, or brighten your whole smile. 
  • Whitening strips: Whitening strips are the most cost-effective over-the-counter option for whitening your teeth. While results may vary depending on your teeth, the strips are very efficient. 

DIY Techniques

If you don’t want to use hydrogen peroxide to whiten your teeth and prefer a more natural method, there are several options. Certain fruits like lemons, strawberries, and bananas can be rubbed on your teeth and brighten your teeth. This is not recommended, however, because of the acidity in these fruits. Rubbing acids on your teeth may erode your enamel overtime. Other options include coconut oil pulling and using activated charcoal on your teeth, although these are not scientifically proven to whiten your teeth. 

It’s important to know how those products will work for you. The Canadian Dental Association has two categories for whitening: surface and bleaching. Bleaching removes extrinsic and intrinsic stains, whereas surface whitening only removes surface stains. Whatever option you choose, always talk to your dentist first. 

Things to Consider

If you have crowns or dental implants, discuss your whitening options with your dentist. Your natural tooth enamel may whiten differently than the dental restorations. 

If you would like to learn more, please do not hesitate to give us a call or contact us to book an appointment.

How to Prevent Dental Diseases

Maintaining proper oral health is important. There are some common ways to keep your mouth healthy, such as visiting the dentist, flossing, and brushing your teeth regularly. Here are some extra precautions you can take to prevent oral and dental diseases.

Tooth Protection

Protecting your teeth is hugely important to keeping your smile looking pretty. Certain activities and participating in contact sports puts your mouth at risk for injury that can contribute to dental diseases. Mouth guards protect teeth from getting knocked out and from teeth breaking.

Mouth guards are also helpful to patients who grind their teeth at night. Bruxism is common and many people do not even know they grind their teeth. Signs may include waking up with a headache, face pain, and fatigue. While it may seem insignificant, grinding teeth can cause broken teeth, loss of tooth enamel, and potentially overtime, loss of teeth.

Eating Habits

A healthy diet with plenty of calcium and vitamin D and other necessary nutrients is important to bone health and strong teeth. Eating the proper amount of dairy, calcium-fortified foods, and green vegetables is sufficient for children and young adults. Food like broccoli, kale, milk, and orange juice are healthy ways to get the proper amounts of calcium.

Avoiding carbohydrates, candy, and sticky foods can stick on the teeth and remain on the surface of the tooth, unless you brush your teeth soon after eating. The complex sugars in carbohydrates turn into bacteria that lives in the mouth, and when mixed with saliva, it turns into acid which eats at the teeth.

Limiting sugary drinks like soda is important to protecting teeth and preventing oral and dental diseases. The acid in soda eats away at the enamel and can create cavities. It also leaves stains on the surface of the tooth that can erode the structure of the teeth. Cavities can cause long-term dental damage if they go untreated.

Dental Visits

Seeing a dentist regularly for cleanings is important to your overall oral health. Taking certain precautions like having X-Rays performed at routine cleanings can monitor your oral health and check for early signs of decay.

Getting your teeth professionally cleaned can also help prevent gum disease and inflammation and bleeding by removing built up plaque. Your dentist may use fluoride treatments and sealant to help your teeth fight tooth decay.

Proper Brushing Techniques

While it is important to brush your teeth, improper brushing can do damage to your teeth. Over brushing can damage the tooth enamel and if you brush for longer than 4 minutes total each day, you run the risk of wearing down the enamel and exposing the dentin (the inside layer of teeth).

Brush your teeth like you are polishing an eggshell – gently and carefully. If your toothbrush gets flattened after brushing, you are brushing too hard. Flossing your teeth with each brushing helps remove any debris or food stuck in between your teeth.

Brushing at least twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste, before and after bed is a great way to help prevent any oral issues and dental diseases.

If you would like to learn more, please do not hesitate to give us a call or contact us to book an appointment.