If you’ve lost some or all of your natural teeth, whether from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury, partial or complete dentures can replace your missing teeth and your smile. Replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance, your bite, and your health. Without support from a denture, facial tissues have not support and sag therefore, making a person look older. You’ll be able to eat, speak and smile. All things that are taken for granted until natural teeth are lost.

There are different types of dentures.

Partial Dentures replace multiple missing teeth and are supported with clasps around the remaining teeth and surrounding gums.

Complete Dentures are made when all remaining teeth are removed and tissues have healed. Healing after extractions may take 6-8 weeks.

Immediate Complete Dentures are inserted the same day when remaining compromised teeth are removed. With immediate dentures, the patient leaves with dentures in his mouth. After tissues have healed relines of the dentures are necessary to ensure a good and comfortable fit.

Overdentures are dentures that fit over a small number of remaining natural teeth or implants. These dentures give added support and stability to the denture.

Implant Supported Overdenture:

Even if you wear full dentures, you still must take good care of your mouth. Brush your gums, tongue and palate every morning with a soft-bristled brush before you insert your dentures to stimulate circulation in your tissues and help remove plaque. Always remove your dentures at night to allow the tissues below the dentures to rest and breath.

Scheduling regular dental checkups are still necessary when wearing complete dentures. We will examine your mouth to see if your dentures continue to fit properly and also examine your mouth for any signs of oral diseases including oral cancer.

What will dentures feel like?

New dentures may feel awkward for a few weeks until you become accustomed to them. The dentures may feel loose while the muscles of your cheek and tongue learn to keep them in place.

It is not unusual to experience minor irritation or soreness. You may find that saliva flow temporarily increases. As your mouth becomes accustomed to the dentures, these problems should diminish. One or more follow-up appointments with the dentist are generally needed after a denture is inserted. If any problem persists, particularly irritation or soreness, be sure to consult your dentist.

Will dentures make me look different? Dentures can be made to closely resemble your natural teeth so that little change in appearance will be noticeable. Dentures may even improve the look of your smile and help fill out the appearance of your face and profile.

Will I be able to eat with my dentures? Eating will take a little practice. Start with soft foods cut into small pieces. Chew slowly using both sides of your mouth at the same time to prevent the dentures from tipping. As you become accustomed to chewing, add other foods until you return to your normal diet. Continue to chew food using both sides of the mouth at the same time. Be cautious with hot or hard foods and sharp-edged bones or shells.

Will dentures change how I speak? Pronouncing certain words may require practice. Reading out loud and repeating troublesome words will help. If your dentures “click” while you’re talking, speak more slowly. You may find that your dentures occasionally slip when you laugh, cough or smile. Reposition the dentures by gently biting down and swallowing. If a speaking problem persists, consult your dentist.

Frequent Asked Questions about Dentures

Q. Should I use a denture adhesive?
Denture adhesive can provide additional retention for well-fitting dentures. However, it is not the solution for old, ill-fitting dentures. A poorly fitting denture, which causes constant irritation over a long period, may contribute to the development of sores. These dentures may need a reline or need to be replaced. If your dentures begin to feel loose or causes discomfort, let us know so we can take evaluate them to see what adjustments are necessary.

Q. How do I take care of my dentures?
Dentures are very delicate and can easily break if dropped. When you are not wearing your dentures store them away from small children and pets. Like natural teeth, dentures must be brushed daily to remove food deposits and plaque. Brushing helps prevent dentures from becoming permanently stained and helps your mouth stay healthy. It’s best to use a brush designed for cleaning dentures. A toothbrush with soft bristles can also be used. Use a mild soap or denture cleaning solutions. Avoid using beach or other household cleansers, which may be too abrasive. Toothpaste can create small pores in the denture leading to more stain in the future.

Q. Can I make minor adjustments or repairs to my dentures?
You can damage your dentures and harm your health by trying to adjust or repair your dentures on your own. A denture that is not made to fit properly can cause irritation and sores. Please see us and we will help you!

Q. Will my dentures need to be replaced?
Over time, dentures may need to be relined or remade due to normal wear or changes in your mouth. To reline the denture we use the existing denture and put a material inside to get a better fit with the surrounding tissue. Dentures may need to be replaced if they become loose and the teeth show signs of significant wear or fracture. Dentures can become loose over time since the bone and gums can recede or causing jaws to align differently and the denture to fit more loose. Loose dentures can cause sores and lead compromised chewing. It’s important to replace worn or poorly-fitting dentures before they cause problems.

Orthodontic treatment straightens your teeth so they look and work better. Braces work by putting gentle pressure on your teeth and over a number of months or years this pressure can move your teeth into the right position.

Orthodontic treatment isn’t just for teens, as teeth can be moved at any age. In fact, more and more adults are having orthodontic treatment to improve the look and health of their smile. 

In some cases, it is helpful to start orthodontic treatment before all the permanent (adult) teeth come in. This is called interceptive orthodontics. We can do an orthodontic screening to find out if your child will need orthodontic treatment to correct a bad bite. Interceptive orthodontics allows us to treat or stop a problem as it is developing.

To apply braces, we attach brackets to each tooth. Arch wires are fitted into all the brackets and are usually held in place with rubber or wire ties.

The position of your teeth and jaws has an effect on your bite. Your bite is how your top and bottom teeth come together. When your top and bottom teeth do not fit together properly, this is called a malocclusion or a bad bite. Problems like missing, crooked, crowded or protruding teeth can contribute to a bad bite. Thumb or finger sucking may also affect your bite.

A bad bite can make it hard to chew some foods and may cause some teeth to wear down. It can also cause muscle tension and pain. Teeth that stick out are more easily chipped or broken. Crowded and crooked teeth are harder to clean and may be more likely to get cavities and gum disease. Fixing a bad bite improves your smile and your health. Different types of bad bites include an overbite, a crossbite, an overjet and an open bite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taking Care of Your Teeth With Braces

• Brush and floss Consistently. Taking care of your teeth is always important, but even more critical when you have braces since plaque can easily build up around the edges of the brackets. If plaque isn’t properly removed, it can affect the enamel and cause white or brown stains that can be permanent. We recommend more frequent visits to help you get under the brackets and to make sure your gums and teeth stay healthy. We will also give you tips and tools and show you how to brush and floss effectively for a beautiful smile.
  
• Avoid foods that are not braces-friendly. Sticky, chewy foods like gum, caramels and gummies should be avoided during your orthodontic treatment. Also really hard things like ice cubes and nuts. This not only will help prevent cavities, but also damage to brackets and distort the wire of the braces.
  
• Avoid missing your appointments. Making sure you are seen regularly allows for any adjustments to be made and gives you the opportunity to ask all your questions.

Retainers

Once your braces have been removed, a retainer can be used to keep your teeth in the right place. Retainers are fixed (attached to the teeth) or removable. They may need to be worn all the time or part of the time depending on each individual person’s case.
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Are you noticing your child’s teeth are getting a little crowded?  Or are you concerned about a deep bite they are developing?  There are options available instead of waiting for braces.

3 out of 4 kids have crowded teeth and incorrectly developing jaws.  This can be evident as early as age 3-5.  Traditionally, we have waited until all permanent teeth have erupted to start orthodontics (age 12-14).  Studies have shown that by starting treatment earlier, you can help your child even more.  Myobrace is a pre-orthodontic treatment that can straighten your child’s teeth sooner and without braces. It’s a natural approach to straightening teeth while your child is still growing. You can get started as early as 3-15 for kids!

Why do kids develop crooked teeth?

Modern research has shown that crowded teeth, incorrect jaw development and other orthodontic problems are not caused by big teeth in small jaws or hereditary factors. Nutrition, mouth breathing, tongue thrusting, reverse swallowing and thumb sucking (known as incorrect myofunctional habits) are the real causes. Allergies, asthma and an open mouth posture also contribute to incorrect jaw development. Growing up, most of us have had one or more of these myofunctional problems, which may have been the cause of incorrect dental and facial development.  By correcting these habits, better facial development and straighter teeth are achieved!

Why does mouth breathing cause crooked teeth?

During mouth breathing the tongue is not resting on the roof of the mouth.  It has a lower tongue posture (floor of mouth), cheek muscles narrows the upper jaw and palate.  In effect, the lower jaw does not grow accordingly and stays in a more back position.

Remember the mouth is for eating and the nose is for breathing!

Can’t all these concerns be treated with Invisalign?

Orthodontics is the best way to move/align teeth.  However, it does not treat the reason why children have developed the malocclusion.  It does not treat oral habits.  Therefore, after going through braces or Invisalign relapse can occur.

How can Myobrace help?

These appliances are designed to train the tongue to position correctly in the upper jaw, retrain the oral musculature and exert light forces to align the teeth.

Wearing a Myobrace appliance for one to two hours each day and overnight while sleeping, combined with a series of ‘myofunctional exercises’ (also known as the Trainer Activities) each day is all that is required in the treatment process. In a small number of cases, fixed braces may be required for a short time to provide optimal alignment.

The Myobrace System differs from other orthodontic forms of treatment as it is not only aimed at straightening the teeth, but is primarily directed at correcting the causes of crooked teeth and underdeveloped jaws. This works best for patients who are still growing, around the ages of six to ten. Effective treatment can be done outside of these ages, but habits become harder to correct in older patients.  Compliance is very important!

Myobrace treatment goals:

• Lips together at rest
• Correct tongue position on tag
• No facial muscle activity during swallowing
• Good facial development
• No braces, retainers or extractions (when possible)
• Straight teeth
• Healthy hard-food diet

How does Myobrace work?

Myobrace is an evolution of functional appliances that includes myofunctional therapy.  It allows early treatment with these appliances that addresses the causes of malocclusion while the child is still growing.  It is based on myofunctional therapy exercises, but systemized and modernized so compliance and reproducibility are achieved.

Children wear their myobrace 1-2 hours during the day and while sleeping at night. Goals while wearing the myobrace are tongue on the tag, lips together and breathing through your nose.

Each month a new activity will be given to the child to master. These activities are to be done everyday for 2-5 minutes using an activities app.  The activities focus on breathing exercises, tongue and  correct swallowing training.  All to achieve optimal development.  We make the activities fun!

Unique features of the Myobrace Appliance

• Tooth channels – align the front teeth
• Tongue Tag – trains the tongue position
• Lip Bumper – trains the lower lip
• Frankel gage – Expands the arch form

During treatment, kids are to wear their myobrace 1-2 hours during the day (can be broken up) and while sleeping at night.

Each month a new activity will be given to the child to master. These activities are to be done everyday for 2-5 minutes.  We make them fun and are available on an app! The myobrace treatment program is customized for each child’s needs and age.  Treatment is divided into 3 phases.  Oral habit elimination, expansion and alignment/retention.

Ready to get started? Call us to schedule a consultation appointment!

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The Invisalign treatment consists of a series of clear, snap-on, custom fit, removable mouth trays or aligners that apply a controlled amount of force to your teeth, forcing them to shift. The system provides the same beautiful results as traditional braces, but since the trays are made of clear plastic, they are virtually invisible. In addition, because Invisalign trays are removable, they can be taken out while eating, drinking, brushing and flossing.

Why Invisalign?

Healthier Teeth

Swollen, red gums can often be the result of having teeth that are crowded or too widely spaced. Unfortunately, these are also signs of periodontal disease. When teeth are properly aligned, it helps the gums fit more securely around the teeth, allowing for the strongest and healthiest defense against potential periodontal problems. That’s where Invisalign comes in. The comfortable and clear aligners gently and gradually begin to move your teeth into the proper position – without unsightly brackets and wires.

Easier Cleaning

One of the biggest challenges of having braces is removing all the food that gets trapped in the brackets and wires. This can often lead to plaque buildup and eventually tooth decay. With Invisalign, the aligners are removable, so it’s easy to continue brushing and flossing your teeth the way you normally do.

How It Works

Invisalign works a lot like braces, except without any of the bracket, wires and other contraptions often used to straighten and enhance your smile. We will start off with an impression, photos, and all necessary x-rays of your teeth. From there, a series of “aligners” will be fashioned each crafted to gradually make subtle changes in the position of your teeth. Every two weeks you’ll switch out one aligner for the next in the series to progressively shift your teeth into place. The easiest way to look at it is as a systematic modification in the position of your teeth in stages. As time goes by, the position of your teeth will slowly move closer to their intended goal, just like regular braces.

Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment without brackets or wires.

It uses a patented proprietary system that uses 3D modeling software and cutting-edge manufacturing technology to provide a clear, removable solution for straightening teeth. Invisalign is effective at treating a wide variety of orthodontic issues including: crowding, spacing, overbite, under bite, deep bites and open bite.

We are proud to introduce the new iTero element scanner to Harvard Rd Dental Care!  Within minutes we can show our patients the outcome of their Invisalign treatment.

•   The ClinCheck which shows how teeth incrementally move with each aligner is also available twice as fast.
•   The iTero scanner takes the most accurate record of your teeth, which translates into aligners fitting seven times better than with traditional impressions.
•   The best part is that there is no mess or goop like with traditional impressions!

Ask us at your next visit, how “Invisalign” can change your smile!
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