Lab management needs better education on how to speak to employees when they make mistakes and to not put so much pressure on trying to make everything perfect. I felt as after my 90 days were up the lab manager started treating me differently in a negative way. I know I was struggling and my performance may have been slightly off towards the end due to personal issues but management could have handled it differently instead of being more demanding.
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.
Patients that want a more stable and comfortable denture alternative may be interested in talking to their dentists about dental implants and dental bridges. Although both of these treatments tend to be more expensive than dentures, they generally offer a more precise fit and better chewing ability than dentures. Patients can also have a tooth-colored ceramic or porcelain bridge or implant restoration placed for a more natural looking appearance.
The denture itself is not very good. Again, I fault this due to a low paid lab worker, who is probably texting while he makes the denture. It clearly did not fit properly, too much in one area, too little in another. I am glad that I have had a partial for years and an upper for years, as I know what can be done to alleviate the pressure points. I had to remove material in several spots on the lower edges of the denture, to keep it from bruising my gums.
If you do not have much money and you need dental care or extractions and a full denture you can try calling Missions od Mercy and go to one of their free clinics...Many states are now doing the LARELL One Step Denture for the clinic patients...You can have teeth removed and after that get a free LARELL Denture if Missions of Mercy has the denture clinic... Just takes an hour and you leave with brand new great looking dentures. You can call and see if they offer the Larell clinic for dentures... I got mine in Sacramento Ca last year and they are really great.
Dentures not only improve the appearance of a smile that has multiple missing teeth, but they also keep the structure of the mouth sound by supporting the structures around the cheeks and lips. Dentures also make it possible to eat foods that require chewing, making it possible to keep your diet the same and ensure that you are properly nourished. Lastly, dentures are a viable solution to replace teeth that are causing serious pain and oral health issues, such as those with rotted roots or severe damage. Having dentures fitted means that troublesome teeth are eliminated and replaced with a strong and beautiful alternative.
A complete denture consists of a thin acrylic base that rests on the gum tissue and is the same color as your gums. Porcelain or acrylic replacement teeth built into the base give the appearance of natural teeth emerging from the gums. We know that your smile is unique, and Dr. Yonan, Scott, Bushnell, Fairbanks & Quigley have the experience to help you select the teeth that appear most natural and harmonious in your smile. This gives you the option to customize the way you look, whether you want a "new" smile or just want to restore the one you had.
Olalekan Okunuga, DDS, FICOI, FAAIP, is a general dentist and the practice owner of this South Hill location. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at University of Pacific in San Francisco and completed his post-graduate residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Based on many years of valuable dental experience, Dr. Okunuga and his staff are proud to offer professional, compassionate care to patients that visit this practice.
For patients with multiple missing teeth – Having multiple missing teeth would mean that speech could be impaired and chewing would be much more difficult. Also, a patient could experience low-self confidence and consciousness over their appearance. Full and partial dentures can help ease those burdens and give the patients a new smile and a new outlook in life.
Every tooth in your mouth is vital to maintaining proper alignment, and spaces left behind by one or more missing teeth can have an effect on your bite, speech, smile, and face shape. Missing teeth can cause your remaining teeth to shift and cause problems with your bite. To preserve your oral health and dental hygiene, you should weigh your options when it comes to tooth replacement treatments and choose the procedure that meets your needs.
In some cases, oral surgery is performed to correct bony ridges that may interfere with the stability of the denture. In other cases, the remaining teeth may need to be extracted before placement. Once your dentist has decided that dentures are right for you, he will make an impression of the gums to identify every ridge and crevice to ensure the best fit possible.
A complete denture consists of a thin acrylic base that rests on the gum tissue and is the same color as your gums. Porcelain or acrylic replacement teeth built into the base give the appearance of natural teeth emerging from the gums. We know that your smile is unique, and Dr. Yonan, Scott, Bushnell, Fairbanks & Quigley have the experience to help you select the teeth that appear most natural and harmonious in your smile. This gives you the option to customize the way you look, whether you want a "new" smile or just want to restore the one you had.
For patients with multiple missing teeth – Having multiple missing teeth would mean that speech could be impaired and chewing would be much more difficult. Also, a patient could experience low-self confidence and consciousness over their appearance. Full and partial dentures can help ease those burdens and give the patients a new smile and a new outlook in life.
Some patients who believe they have 'bad teeth' may consider having all of them extracted and replaced with complete dentures. However, statistics show that most patients who receive this treatment wind up regretting it. This is because complete dentures have only 10% of the chewing power of natural teeth, and it is difficult to get them fitted satisfactorily, particularly in the mandibular arch. Even if a patient retains one tooth there, that one tooth contributes significantly to the stability of the denture. However, retention of just one or two teeth in the upper jaw does not contribute much to the overall stability of a denture, since an upper complete denture tends to be very stable, in contrast to a lower complete denture. It is thus advised that patients keep their natural teeth as long as possible, especially in the case of lower teeth.
Fixed bridges are another tooth replacement option that are typically more durable and a more permanent solution than denture arches. A bridge spans the length of at least three teeth to replace a missing tooth or teeth in between. Bridges are cheaper than dental implants but do not offer all the same benefits when compared to replacing a missing tooth with an implant.
It is often necessary to pull any remaining damaged teeth before getting dentures. Tooth extraction typically costs $75-$450 per tooth for a simple extraction and $150-$650 or more per tooth for a surgical extraction. Depending on the number of teeth to be pulled, the total cost of getting dentures can be $1,500-$20,000 or more for a full set (uppers and lowers). CostHelper readers report paying $2,000-$18,000 for a full set of removable dentures including tooth extractions and other preparation work, at an average cost of $9,063.
I had a really great experience with Affordable Dentures and Implants. My mom has always been afraid of dentists and didn't take care of her teeth. She also had a stroke a few years back which has created a few more barriers to treatment. It's difficult to explain to anyone who doesn't personally know a stroke survivor, but she gets antsy pretty quickly and can be a bit difficult to work with at times. She's also physically handicapped and can't use her left side, plus is having trouble transferring from her wheelchair to other seats, getting into a helpful position, and following directions, so it's a bit of a unique situation. She underwent major oral surgery in this office- multiple extractions and bone augmentation- in order to get dentures. This is something we've seen a couple different dentists for, but she has always refused treatment because she didn't like something about the office or wanted to be put to sleep in a hospital, which was out of our budget. Given her limitations and dental anxiety, I wasn't sure what to expect this time around, but I couldn't have been happier with how this office behaved. The front office has been great in terms of explaining processes, scheduling, and billing. I've also had to coordinate paratransit to get my mom to the office, and they've worked with me on times to make sure everything lines up right. Something you can probably only appreciate if you've been in a similar situation. They've also worked with us on fixing issues and missed appointments due to unforeseeable circumstances. Not only did they not scold us for missing an appointment, but they worked with me to resolve the problem that caused it- my mom's assisted living facility biffed it and didn't give her pain medicine after her surgery. :/ But, like I said, this office came through and helped- always making her care the top priority. As far as back office goes, Carlos the assistant has the patience of a saint. Seriously. We had to do a full series of x-rays because my mom couldn't stand up for the pano. My mom had trouble holding still and repeatedly failed to follow instructions. Carlos never stopped smiling and encouraging her. He had a lot of positive energy and kept joking with her throughout, which I know went a long way to making her feel good about the office. He did the same during the other visits, but the x-rays I'm sure were the biggest challenge. Jennifer assisted with the surgery. She was incredibly kind, gentle, and thoughtful. She was always doing what she could to keep my mom comfortable and looking out for her. She even went and grabbed my mom a pillow to make sure she was comfortable. Dr. Athari has an amazing sense of calm about him. He walked us through everything and talked to us throughout the procedure. My mom needed frequent breaks during the surgery and he always gave her the time she needed to regroup. He was very gentle and mindful with her throughout the procedure, and I'm certain that's what got my mom through it without issue. I cannot stress how difficult this process could have been considering the amount of care needed and the limitations of the patient. However, these folks rolled with everything we threw at them and never missed a beat. Always helpful, knowledgeable, kind, and gentle. If I had to find one negative about the office, it would be the wait times. On our first visit, one woman in the waiting room said she'd been waiting 30+ minutes. It took a day to get a call back to schedule. We waited a little while in the office too. However, when you consider that they're working with people like the person I brought in, and that it's totally impossible to predict the needs and behaviors of some of the patients who go in there, it's totally understandable. I have no doubt they took a little longer because they were treating someone else exactly as they treated us- with patience and understanding. That's worth waiting for. So, if you do go, be prepared for some short delays, but also know why those delays happen. Overall, they work like a well-oiled machine. We got to meet the whole team, including their on-site lab techs. Every single person met us with a smile and kind words. I cannot thank Dr. Athari enough for creating an environment like this. Before I close, I'd like to add a word on fees as well. I almost hesitate to call this an affordable dental office, simply because they obviously put care first. All dental offices should do what this office does and provide options, but few do. It's that commitment to patient care and letting you choose what's right for you that makes them more affordable, versus the offices that cut corners to save you a buck. That's a major difference worth noting. They also have an on-site lab, which saves costs as well. Anyway, again, sending a huge thank-you to Dr. Athari and his staff. You guys are beyond awesome.
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I went back anyway. When looking into my mouth, ** told me, "Nothing is wrong with the partial. It's you." You have a lip like Elvis. You snarl like Elvis and that's why you think the teeth look funny." I am 61 years old and never in my life have I been told I look like Elvis. I have never had elevated teeth on one side, either. I asked to speak to the dentist and in came Dr. **, owner of the practice. She looked at my mouth and told me I shouldn't criticize her work and I should leave. I asked her to take the partial and make the teeth the same length.
Later that afternoon I came back to have 16 teeth extracted. I got to the office and waited about 30 minutes before I was seen. I got to the back and began injections. After this I went to a full blown panic attack and came close to passing out. The one positive is the dentist who was working on me took it in stride. I wasn't treated disrespectfully and after about 30 minutes the panic subsided and she was able to finish my injections and begin pulling teeth.
