An Affordable, Convenient Solution to Tooth Loss
If you’re missing teeth, it’s crucial to find a replacement solution to ensure your oral health stays intact. While dental implants have become the industry standard for tooth replacement, they may not be right for everyone. Fortunately, Dr. Stern provides dentures as an affordable and effective restorative solution.
Dentures have become known as uncomfortable and unstable solutions. But Dr. Stern trained under one of the most skilled, renowned denture designers in the field of dentistry. That means he’ll ensure that your customized dentures will be perfect for you.
Learn more about dentures, and find out if they’re the ideal solution for your tooth loss by reading our patient-friendly guide.
What Are Dentures?
Dentures are an attractive, cost-effective restorative solution for patients missing any number of teeth. They’re custom-made from acrylic resin to create a natural-looking appearance. Receiving your dentures is quick and easy, and we can often complete the process in just two visits to our Willoughby Hills office.
Dr. Stern has been creating well-fitting dentures for multiple years and enjoys helping patients find their most suitable form of tooth replacement. The denture fit we accomplish is unparalleled by any other denture appliance, leaving our patients feeling confident in their ability to speak, eat, smile, and laugh.
This high standard of denture design carries the benefit of lifting the face, keeping contours more youthful and natural. We do this through internal structural support typically only possible with natural teeth or dental implants.
Why Choose Dentures?
Depending on your individual dental needs, Dr. Stern may recommend dentures for several different reasons, including:
- Replacement of all teeth from the upper or lower jaw
- Loss of several teeth in an arch due to tooth decay, gum disease, or trauma
- To enhance smile and facial issues
- To improve the ability to chew, speak, and digest food
Receiving Your Dentures
The process of getting your customized dentures will typically require at least two appointments, usually over several weeks or one month. To begin, we’ll take highly detailed impressions of your teeth to create your dentures.
Several “try-on” appointments may be necessary to ensure proper fit, shape, and color. At your final appointment, Dr. Stern will precisely adjust and place the completed denture, making sure it fits comfortably and looks natural.
It’s essential to remember that increased saliva flow, some soreness, and difficulty eating and speaking at first are normal. However, these will subside quickly as your muscles and tissues get used to your new restoration.
Denture Care
Your dentures can last up to 15 years or more with proper care and good oral hygiene. Luckily, your denture restoration is simple to take care of.
Brushing & Cleaning
It’s vital to maintain the health of your dentures by thoroughly cleaning them twice a day or after every meal. To properly clean them, remove them from your mouth and gently brush all of their surfaces. Don’t brush too hard, as this can wear down the unique edges and teeth created to fit in your mouth.
Overnight Care
Overnight you should remove your dentures and place them in a denture-cleaning solution. Keeping them in this solution will help them retain their custom shape and stay fresh overnight. If you sleep with your dentures in, it can lead to excess wear on your jawbones, especially if you tend to clench or grind your teeth during sleep.
Routine Denture Maintenance
The final step in increasing the longevity of your dentures is to regularly visit Dr. Stern twice a year for dental deep cleanings and exams. During these appointments, one of our dental professionals will thoroughly clean your mouth and dentures.
After we’ve removed any harmful bacteria, our experienced Willoughby Hills dentist will examine your dentures and gums to ensure they’re healthy. He’ll also address any issues with the fit and comfort of your dentures during this appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, denture technology has improved significantly, and we can make your dentures look natural. You’ll be able to confidently smile without the worry of people noticing your dentures.
Denture teeth are made from natural-looking materials that feel like natural teeth. They even reflect light the same way as teeth for a completely natural appearance. Your dentures are customized specifically for you, so they’ll be comfortable and blend in with your face.
After tooth extraction, you’ll want to wait at least six to eight weeks to be fitted for dentures. This allows time for swelling to diminish and you’ll get a more accurate denture fit. Our team will assess how you’re healing at your follow-up appointment, which will determine how long you’ll need to wait.
Your New Smile
If you require a smile renovation with dentures, Dr. Stern at Smile Brighter Willoughby Hills has a solution that will create the kind of support you deserve. Our goal is to give our patients security in their smiles, as well as a high level of comfort and attractiveness.
To schedule your appointment with Dr. Stern, call our Willoughby Hills office at (440) 210-0999. You can also fill out our online contact form, and one of our team members will get in touch right away.
Perfect Lower Dentures With Dr. Michael Stern
Dr. Michael Stern explains that even before implants took place in dentistry he came up with a solution to have perfect lower Dentures. To get more details about lower dentures, call Dr. Michael Stern at Smile Brighter Willoughby Hills, OH today and fix your appointment.
Why are lower dentures so unstable?
Lower dentures are probably the worst thing that any patient or dentist that do dentures can deal with. The denture at best is going to fit like a row boat that is out in the ocean during six-foot waves. That is the visual idea of how they fit.
The lower denture is shaped like a horseshoe, so you don’t get a lot of potential for suction or stability, because unlike the upper jaw the lower jaw moves when you talk, its got saliva glands all around which would tend to make you lose any minor suction that you do have. We tell people that the only thing that holds it in place is probably gravity.
What type of lower dentures do you provide at Smile Brighter Willoughby Hills?
A long time ago I came up with a solution and this was before there were implants. It was to put something heavy in the lower denture. So we put a metal casting to reinforce the dental appliance making it heavier and thus it would make it stay somewhat better.
What are the benefits of mini dental implants?
20 years ago, someone came up with miniature dental implants. Mini dental implants have been around for about 46 years.
With two of the regular dental implants you can put attachments to the end of the implants right at the gum level and put the corresponding matching appliance to the denture and it snaps together. With a couple of conventional mini dental implants, you can have a lower denture that stays in so well.
The implant success rate is very good. Lower implants according to recent data are still functioning well. After a 46-year period 98% of them are still there.
Are mini dentures more convenient to get?
With a mini dental implant even if there is very little bone left you can very comfortably place 4 of these in the jaw in one visit and have the lower denture converted to snap to these miniature dental implants all in may be 2 or 3 hours.
These are much less invasive to place and can be done in a general dental office. The cost can be as half the cost of traditional denture implants.
Dr. Stern at Smile Brighter Willoughby Hills has a solution that will create the kind of support you deserve.