Clearwater Dentures

Dr. Jonathan Jayson Bromboz is a dentist and has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Dentures.


Q. What are dentures?

A. Dentures are removable artificial teeth which replace missing natural teeth. Dentures can replace all teeth or just a few teeth, depending on how many teeth are missing or removed.

Q. Why should I use a denture adhesive?

A. Dentures are removable, not permanently fixed in place so they have a tendency to shift and move around.  Dentures are hard plastic and sit on the soft gums and tend to slip around.  The longer you have the denture the more bone loss occurs in your jaw and so there is less for the denture to sit on.  The denture adhesive is like a glue to help stabilize the denture so it doesn’t move around.  Adhesive is only used if the denture becomes too loose.

Q. What types of cosmetic dentures are possible?

A. If you want something that looks good and looks like natural teeth, and you can’t tell you are wearing dentures, then those are custom cosmetic dentures. With custom cosmetic dentures you can have your teeth the way you want your teeth to look and what is aesthetic and pleasing to you.  This is as opposed to just assembly-line type dentures where they are all made the same and they look like dentures.  Asking what types of cosmetic dentures are possible is like asking what type of clothes do you like or what type of car do you like.  Cosmetic dentures are custom made to what you would like your smile and face to look like. With the right looking dentures it can look like you got a face lift. The teeth are shaped so as to add more structure to the face.  The teeth can be nice colored, nice shape, long enough, pink gums, etc.  There are infinite types and variables as far as cosmetic dentures. It is all dependant on the look you would like. Some people have such badly shaped, dark, decayed teeth that they can have a custom smile makeover with dentures designed exactly how they would like to have them look.    Cosmetic dentures look natural and are custom designed.

Q. How long do cosmetic dentures take to make?

A. That is a variable question. They can be done in as little as a week or so and rushed through, but average time takes 4-6 weeks.  But how long does it take to re-do a kitchen with a  beautiful tile floor and grantie tops and wood cabinets.  It is variable depending on how much money you want to spend, how fast you want it or you want to do it step by step.

Q. What are the alternatives to cosmetic dentures?

A. The thing that defines cosmetic dentures is that denture looks natural and pleasing and gives you the look that enhances your appearance.  The alterantive to Cosmetic Dentures, are dentures that are cheap and just put together with small teeth in a row, done by a machine and not shaped to your smile line,  the arrangement of the teeth is not natural.  Dentures that are not cosmetic dentures can look fake; like a cheap wig versus a well made wig with variations in color and highlights. 

Q. Are dentures uncomfortable or painful to wear?

A. It depends on how  tough your gums are that the dentures set on or do you have thin tender gums. It also depends on the muscles in the area and your tolerance for something in your mouth.  There are a huge number of variables. Are dentures uncomfortable? The answer is yes and no.  Some patients you put the dentures in, you adjust them to fit and they are perfectly happy with them and never have any problems with them.  Other persons you put the dentures in and there is a continual source of sore spots and sometimes it takes months for them to get used to it. While other people  are used to it and comfortable and no pain and they are comfortable from day one.  Dentures at first can feel like you are wearing a shoe in your mouth.  It does take getting used to.  So it does depend on tolerance.  It is like going on a 5 mile hike, it depends on how badly you want to do that and your purpose, what kind of shape you are in, etc.  Our objective in our office is to make those dentures as comfortable and as pain-free as possible by pre-adjusting them and using special techniques.

Q. What’s the difference between conventional dentures and immediate dentures?

A. Immediate dentures are placed immediately upon removal of natural teeth.  The immediate denture is placed immediately because the person doesn’t want to have the teeth extracted and then walk out having no replacement teeth.  The problem with this though is that once the teeth are taken out the gums and bone will shrink away because there are no teeth stimulating the gum and bone anymore.  So then after this shinkage happens the immediate dentures do not fit as well anymore and aren’t snug fitting.  So they can be relined to make them more snug but in the end, if too much bone is lost those immediate dentures may require so much denture adhesive to get them to stay put that they just don’t work anymore.  Then a second set (or conventional dentures) are made after bone loss occurs and the dentures are no longer stable.

Q. What are implant supported dentures or "anchored" dentures?

A. One of the major problem with dentures is that the bone continues to disappear after the teeth are taken out so that dentures become more and more loose over time. So you’d have to replace your dentures every 5 years or so to keep them fitting well. By putting a manufactured root (dental implant) in the bone, this stops the bone loss and gives you an anchor to secure the denture to so it doesn’t move around or get loose.  The denture snaps onto these dental implants.  Without the implants the lower denture is just sitting on your gums, nothing is holding them in place.  You get sore spots on the gums from the dentures rubbing on the gums.  You have to learn to use your lips, tongue and cheeks to hold the dentures in place and to manipulate them in order to chew or talk or swallow.  The dentures actually float around in the mouth and move around.  This situation is worst on the lowers.  The uppers have a bit of a suction because of the palate. But on the bottom the denture is just held in place by the tongue muscle and the lips and that creates the balance.  It can be hard to get along with dentures.  I remember early in my career a lady came in and said she loved her upper denture she had and said "Doc, I want to take out my teeth on the bottom and just put a denture there,  I don’t want to keep coming back to get my teeth cleaned and fillings and take care of my teeth so just take them out." I tried to get her to keep them but she wanted the denture.  We took the teeth out and put her immediate denture and she came back for many appointments for relines and adjustments. After 3 months of coming back quite often she sat down and cried and said  "Doctor I still can’t bite a french fry."  She traded having a few teeth being able to bite into a french fry for a full set of fake teeth and coming in more than ever before for adjustments and relines.  Since then I will do everything to get people to hang onto their lower teeth so there is something to anchor the denture too.  People don’t believe me because they have this uncle or grandparent who had a denture and were happy with them.  This gives false expectations and then people are surprised at how sore their gums are from the dentures rubbing on the gum, how they move around and how little they can eat with them.  You have to have something to anchor the lower denture, either some of your natural teeth, or if you have no lower teeth then dental implants or all you’ll be able to eat is spaghetti or macaroni and cheese. Forget steaks, apples or corn on the cob or your favorite foods unless you have teeth to anchor the denture or dental implants.  Some people can’t even eat a piece of lettuce with lower dentures because they slide around, pop up or fly out.  Then they stop going out to eat or are embarrased to eat at the table with family during the holidays.  Anchoring the dentures onto dental implants patients are able to eat their favorite foods like they never could before.  The only limit is if you wait too long after extracting the teeth to get the implants you may lose so much bone there is not enough bone left to put the implants into.  But these days we can also add some bone easily enough.  But in some cases there is just too much bone loss to put in an implant.  So do not wait too long after having teeth taken out, or if you already have dentures, to get dental implants placed. The more implants the more stable the dentures as if you had your own teeth.

Q. How to contact Dr. Bromboz if we have further questions?    

A.
Address:
2701 Park Dr. Suite 4
Clearwater, Fl. 33763
Phone: 727-483-5618
Fax: 727-712-0105
Email:drbromboz@yahoo.com
Website:http://www.SmileMakeOverDentistry.com