Dentures

Town Center Family Dentistry has as many ways of restoring and replacing teeth, but the method people are probably most familiar with are dentures. When multiple teeth need to be replaced and implants are impractical or otherwise inappropriate, dentures or removable partial dentures may be the best way for patients to regain some of their abilities to chew and speak.

Full conventional dentures replace all the teeth in the upper or lower jaw, while removable partial dentures can replace a missing segment of teeth. This can be one tooth or a few teeth on one or both sides of the patient’s jaw arch. At Town Center Family Dentistry our aim is to help our patients maintain the best oral health by preserving both form and function of the teeth and supporting bones and gums. Removable Partial dentures are held in place by clasps around the natural teeth remaining on either side, which may have to be reshaped to accommodate the clasp. The clasp is easy for most patients to operate as partial dentures, unlike fixed bridges, are removable.

When treatment requires the removal of all the teeth in the patient’s upper or lower jaw, an immediate denture, made using an impression of the patient’s mouth, is placed following the extractions. The immediate denture roughly fits the patient’s mouth at the time of extractions and the patient’s gum ridge will shrink and change shape for several months without tooth roots to keep it stable. When the extraction sockets are fully healed, another impression can be made, which is used to construct the full conventional denture.

Alternatively, the denture may be relined by filling the gaps between the underside of the denture and the patient’s jaw ridge. Multiple adjustments of the denture may be required for comfort. Adjustments will continue throughout the patient’s life but should be less frequent than when the patient was wearing the immediate denture. Our hygienist will teach patients to clean both the denture and their gum ridge. Top dentures are kept in place by suctioning to the patient’s palate, though both they and lower dentures may require an adhesive or other means of securement. We’re happy to provide patients with the continuing care they need to keep their smiles strong and beautiful. Placing dentures is a means of maintaining oral health and a high quality of life, but not the end of the doctor-patient relationship.
For more information please visit us at www.dentistintowson.com or call us at 410-828-8000.

Dental implants

We still use many kinds of restorations at Town Center Family Dentistry, but it’s undeniable that the ability to replace individual teeth with implants has revolutionized the dental field. There was a time when older patients were commonly fitted with conventional dentures if they experienced advanced periodontal disease or tooth decay and were treated for most of their lives as if their teeth would inevitably be extracted. But that’s no longer the case. While dentures may be the best solution for some patients, the advancement of dental implants means that dentists can now offer their patients fixed teeth replacements. Patients’ options are no longer limited to a removable denture. Moreover, implants can help in sparing the patient’s jawbone.

There’s much more to teeth than the crown, which is the part you see above the gum line. The root of the tooth is anchored in the jawbone, but it also provides the jawbone with stability. Think of how trees hold soil in place, and you’ll have an idea of what teeth do for the skull. When a tooth is lost, the jawbone dissolves, and for a tooth to be replaced there must be enough bone for the root to fuse to. Sometimes, when there isn’t enough bone structure left for an implant, your dentist at Town Center Family Dentistry in Towson, MD can graft new bone material onto the jawbone. This procedure can take place either at the same time the implant is inserted or several months before, depending on the condition of the extraction socket and bone quality at the site of the implant.

The actual implant is a titanium screw or post, which your dentist at Town Center Family dentistry makes an incision into the gum to place. It will take several months for the implant to fuse with the jawbone. During this time, the patient will wear a temporary fixed crown or a removable appliance to fill the gap between the teeth and protect the surgical site. This will also prevent shifting of adjacent teeth. At the return visit, we will screw an abutment to the implant, and make a mold of the patient’s mouth which will be used to manufacture an artificial crown. The porcelain fused to high noble metal or ceramic construction material complements the titanium base to make a very strong and aesthetically pleasing restoration.

Placing the crown is the probably the easiest part of the restoration for the patient. Usually, no local numbing is required. Implants have a very high success rate and can last for more than ten years with the same care used for natural teeth. Patients are able to regain the full use of their mouths, and best of all, the implants can help restore the bone structure around the mouth, as well. For more information please visit us at www.dentistintownson.com or call us at 410-828-8000.