FRANKLIN, INDIANA -- On June 19 and 20, 2013, I visited Affordable Dentures, Franklin, Indiana, to receive same-day partials. From the clinic published offerings, I selected what is termed "The Premium Package," at a cost of $1780. The Package consists of a set of full or partial dentures, with the promise of being allowed to return at any time during the first year of wear for repair and adjustments. A final set is then placed in the patient's mouth. The words "at any time" echo throughout the clinic as the patients are being fitted for teeth, and again, as they leave: "You may come back any time you need to." That promise turns out to be a lie, particularly for purchasers of The Package.
The gums, tongue and palate should be brushed with a soft bristle brush every evening when the dentures are removed, and each day before you insert them to stimulate the gums and remove plaque accumulation. When removing dentures at night, brush them carefully to remove any loose debris and plaque then soak them in a cleansing solution. Your dentist will be able to recommend one. Some people keep theirs in an ultrasonic cleaner, but keep in mind that an ultrasonic cleaner doesn’t replace brushing. When cleaning your dentures, place a towel beneath them or clean them over a sink filled with water to avoid breakage.
I wasted 4 hours of my time today to be denied service I requested. Apparently the dentist is too worried about being sued (a statement she made to me about her not wanting to be sued if I changed my mind after the fact - you'd think they'd have some kind of legal waiver for patients like me) to consider the fact that I'm in extreme pain, have limited resources, have spent 30 years and tens of thousands of dollars to fix the teeth that she wants kept in my mouth and I want removed. The impact of my current condition is both physical and emotional. However, to her credit she said it was in my best interest not to get dentures and was not charged for the visit. I'm irritated that my opinion didn't count at all and was flat out denied service I wanted.
Affordable Dentures and Implants can be an ideal place to work; however, each office is owned by a different dentist. This may determine if you advance within the company, your pay raise, and overall office environment. The office environment I am a part of is poorly managed with a high turnover rate. Advancing within the company is not an option. The doctor does not monitor staff activities through out the day nor patient flow. Bonuses can be achieved if meeting and morning huddles were implemented. She does not encourage office cohesiveness or educating staff. Her leadership skills are poor and needs improving. Her drive is office chaos. This office needs leadership replacement to succeed.
The low-end cost for a full-mouth restoration is about $11,000, a reasonable financial investment compared to a mouthful of single implants (which could run $160,000). A dental practice representing that they can provide a complete-mouth restoration starting at $1,000 is certainly being disingenuous and deceptive. At a minimum, such a procedure requires at least 4 implants and would “start” at a figure closer to $9,000, although probably much higher when considering extractions and prosthetic costs.
Generally speaking partial dentures tend to be held in place by the presence of the remaining natural teeth and complete dentures tend to rely on muscular co-ordination and limited suction to stay in place. The maxilla very commonly has more favorable denture bearing anatomy as the ridge tends to be well formed and there is a larger area on the palate for suction to retain the denture. Conversely, the mandible tends to make lower dentures much less retentive due to the displacing presence of the tongue and the higher rate of resorption, frequently leading to significantly resorbed lower ridges. Disto-lingual regions tend to offer retention even in highly resorbed mandibles, and extension of the flange into these regions tends to produce a more retentive lower denture. An implant supported lower denture is another option for improving retention.
Dental bridges, sometimes called fixed partial dentures, act as a restorative bridge across a gap made by missing teeth. They are made to be permanent by cementing or bonding an artificial tooth (called a pontic) to natural teeth, teeth prepared with crowns, or implants next to the space. The teeth prepared on either side will act as supports for the false teeth between them. Depending on what your dentist suggests, the artificial teeth can be created using gold, alloys, or porcelain.
Problems with dentures may arise because patients are not used to having something in their mouth that is not food. The brain senses the appliance and interprets it as 'food', sending messages to the salivary glands to produce more saliva and to secrete it at a higher rate. This usually only happens in the first 12 to 24 hours, after which the salivary glands return to their normal output. New dentures can also be the cause of sore spots as they compress the denture-bearing soft tissues (mucosa). A few denture adjustments in the days following insertion of the dentures can take care of this problem. Gagging is another problem encountered by a minority of patients. At times, this may be due to a denture that is too loose, too thick or extended too far posteriorly onto the soft palate. At times, gagging may also be attributed to psychological denial of the denture. Psychological gagging is the most difficult to treat since it is out of the dentist's control. In such cases, an implant-supported palateless denture may have to be constructed. Sometimes there could be a gingivitis infection under the completed dentures, caused by the accumulation of dental plaque. One of the most common problems for wearers of new upper complete denture is a loss of taste sensations.
Cosmetic Benefits: The cosmetic benefits of dentures are obvious. They fill in gaps left by missing teeth so patients feel more confident about their appearance. Dentures can replace missing teeth or teeth that were in poor condition, prevent further shifting of remaining teeth, support facial structure and integrity, and increase patients' self confidence.
Treatment for lost teeth can be hard to find even in a metropolitan city like Dallas. Denture treatment and fitting needs to be done by a clinic with the highest level of skill and professionalism, like Dallas Dentures & Implants. Because we strive for a relaxing, comfortable environment and we treat our patients with a gentle care that is personalized to each individual, it is easy to forget that we also utilize cutting edge technology and the latest in prosthetic tooth replacement procedures. Add to that our 30 years of experience in medicine and it is easy to see why we are a leader in our field.
The main alternatives are a fixed bridge or a dental implant. A dental bridge is made by putting crowns on the teeth at either side of the gap, and then joining these two crowns together by placing a false tooth in the space. This is all made in the laboratory and then the pieces are cemented into place with special adhesives. The bridge can't be removed.
One of the major treatments for dealing with missing teeth has always been dentures. Known by its less flattering name ‘false teeth’, there is a certain stigma that has unfairly dogged the use of dentures. This is mainly because old dentures are known to be wobbly, ill-fitting and artificial looking. However, thanks to advancements in modern dentistry, today’s dentures no longer conjure images of fake-looking choppers.
Dentures are artificial teeth and gums that are formed to your mouth and created by your dentists to replace lost or removed natural teeth. Dentures can either be full or partial, meaning they can either replace all teeth on either the top or bottom gum line, or just a few that are missing. Regardless of what kind of dentures you may need, they will be custom designed to fit your mouth, and visually matched to your existing teeth.
I began to get suspicious when they refused to pull my teeth unless I agreed to buy their most expensive package. Being in a dire financial situation I really didn't have much a choice. The most expensive package isn't what I wanted but it was still far cheaper than getting work done elsewhere. I agreed and signed the necessary paperwork. My next appointment was going to be about a week later.
Work was done to make the partials smaller, but still do not fit my mouth and are completely unusable. Sores and lesions continue to form on my gums due to the defective workmanship of this garbage for a product. Parts of the upper partial have chipped off during normal wear, leaving a gap between the teeth. I called again ("You can come back anytime!") in early August for repair. The nasty ** told me I could only come on a Tuesday between 1 and 2 o'clock.
However, like anything, there is a downside. Implant dentures tend to be fairly expensive. A cost of $15,000 to $30,000 for complete upper and lower implant dentures is not uncommon. Most dental insurance plans do not cover the total cost of implant dentures. Possible rejection of the implanted abutment can happen. If there is not enough bone, bone grafting may be required. Minimally invasive surgery may also be required. Treatment time can vary from three to six months.
The process starts by taking a series of impressions or molds of the oral tissues that will support the denture. A dental lab will use these impressions to make models of the patient's mouth. The dentist and laboratory technician will then slowly start building the dentures on these models and transferring them to the patient's mouth at each step to ensure proper fit, establish a proper bite, and ensure that the appearance and esthetics of the denture are desirable. The patient will generally need to be seen by the dentist once per week for about 4 to 5 weeks until the denture is complete. The patient will then need to return occasionally during the first month after the denture is delivered to have adjustments made.
I started getting bone protruding hurting so I called to see about going in and was told he couldn't see me till Monday. So I asked for my pain medicine to be refilled since I had to get through Friday till Monday. And the receptionist politely told me "no", that he wasn't in and told me just to rinse with warm salt water. I did what I was told and suffered through my weekend. By the time I was finally to be seen my dentist didn't even come in to see his handiwork.
Resin-bonded bridge. Also called Maryland Bridge, this is sometimes considered for replacing front teeth that don't endure the biting and chewing demands of back teeth. It has wings on each side to attach to healthy, adjacent teeth but usually doesn't involve preparing, or grinding down, other teeth. A resin-bonded bridge looks and functions better than a removable denture but isn't as strong as fixed bridgework and typically doesn’t function or last nearly as long as dental implants.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Like a bridge, partial dentures rest on surrounding teeth to fill in the gaps where one or more teeth are missing. But unlike a bridge, partial dentures are fully removable by the wearer. Partials are affordable alternatives to other types of dental prosthetics and are custom-made to blend in with each patient’s natural teeth. It takes a little time to adapt to new partials, but many people find that they reclaim much of their original function and aesthetics with partial dentures in place.
Powder application. Sprinkle a thin, uniform layer throughout the tissue-bearing surface of the denture. Shake off excess powder and press the denture into place. Powders may be preferred over pastes because they are easier to clean off the denture and tissue. In addition, they don't have the same tendency as pastes do to "shim" (keep the denture away from the tissue).
