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.

Friendly Dental Group accepts mosts dental insurances and provides a VIP Dental Discount Plan which  for those who aren’t insured and cannot pay for high premiums. It is $275 a year for the primary member and $175 for family members, covering all dental procedures including dentures which would cost around $75-$950. It is much less compared to the thousands being charged for dentures without insurance. Care credit flexible payments are accepted by the VIP Dental Discounts with no annual fee, available for the entire family, and confidential credit decisions.

No consensus has been reached regarding the best occlusal scheme for making complete dentures. Thus, the purpose of this systematic review was to compare bilateral balanced occlusion (BBO) with other occlusal schemes (canine guidance, lingualised occlusion and zero degree) in complete dentures. The schemes were compared in terms of quality of life/satisfaction and masticatory performance. Two independent reviewers performed a comprehensive search of studies published in or before October 2017 using the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases. The search was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The focused question was: "In conventional complete denture, is BBO better than lingualised occlusion, canine guidance and zero degree in terms of quality of life, patient satisfaction and masticatory performance/muscle activity?" Seventeen studies were selected for analysis. In total, there were 492 patients with a mean age of 64.78 years and a mean follow-up duration of 2.96 months (range: 1-6 months). All studies compared BBO with the other occlusal schemes. Eleven studies evaluated the influence of the occlusal scheme designs on quality of life and satisfaction, and 8 studies evaluated masticatory performance and muscle activity between BBO and the other occlusion schemes. The present systematic review indicated that BBO does not confer better quality of life/satisfaction or masticatory performance and muscle activity. Thus, lingualised occlusion can be considered a predictable occlusal scheme for complete dentures in terms of quality of life/satisfaction and masticatory performance, while canine guidance can be used to reduce muscular activity.

When you lose a tooth, the nearby teeth may tilt or drift into the empty space. The teeth in the other jaw may also shift up or down toward the space. This can affect your bite and place more stress on your teeth and jaws. You may find it harder to clean teeth that have shifted, which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. That is why it is important to replace missing teeth.

Price: Dentures tend to be the least costly solution for replacing missing teeth. Alternative treatment options such as dental bridges or implants are generally more expensive and require more extensive treatment. However, dental bridges and implants do offer a better fit, increased comfort, better chewing ability, and a more natural appearance. For these reasons, dentures-wearers may want to ask their dentists about these alternative treatment options. Your dentist can let you know if you are a good candidate for dentures, dental bridges, or implants, and let you know the cost of these options.

I am missing almost all of my upper teeth and am considering full dentures. What are the costs for extraction and for the dentures? Also, what is the timeframe for ordering and wearing the new dentures after extraction?Answer: The fee for removing your remaining teeth varies upon the complexity of the procedure required to remove your teeth as well as your geographic location. Some dental schools, including hospital-based programs, may offer reduced fees if you use a resident (a dentist in training for additional skills) or a dental student to perform the procedure (under the supervision of licensed dentists). The timing of the placement of the dentures can vary widely. Dentures may be made prior to the removal of the remaining teeth and may be inserted the day the teeth are extracted, or the teeth may be removed and healing allowed to take place before the dentures are delivered several weeks or even months later. Most patients want to have dentures sooner rather than later, but dentures placed soon after or immediately after teeth have been extracted may need to be adjusted or replaced after the healing process is finished.Response provided by the American College of Prosthodontists. Back to top
_{Premium dentures can cost $2,000-$4,000 per plate, or $4,000-$8,000 or more for a set. Dentures in this price range are a personalized fit, use high-end materials to simulate the look of gums and teeth as closely as possible, last a long time and are warranted against chipping and cracking for 5-10 years or longer. Often the price includes several follow-up visits to fine-tune the fit.}
^{After deciding on having the extractions and the full plate, I decided on the "Premium" denture. You can see 3 different types of dentures. Economy, Good and Premium. It's pretty easy, if you want the longest lasting, then get the premium. Economy dentures often break after a couple years... I had to pay the full amount right then, before they would go any further. They want all the money in advance or they don't do the dentures. Be prepared to pay up front in full, before you go, or don't go.}

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.

Throughout your lifetime, dentures will need to be replaced and adjusted which can become time consuming and expensive. It is a simple fact that dentures start to become loose and can break through normal activities such as talking, eating, etc. If a denture arch breaks, it may be possible to repair but in some cases it will need to be replaced entirely.
Dr. Walton's dental center has an on-site dental lab that fabricates new dentures and provides repairs and relines, often with same-day service. He crafts single-visit crowns using the latest CAD/CAM technology to deliver a custom, natural-looking restoration. Dr. Walton has incorporated the use of Laser Technology in his practice to provide his patients with the leading edge options for surgery and periodontal treatment. Being able to provide dentures and crowns in a day is a significant advantage, especially for patients who have traveled far distances. The on-site lab also eliminates the need to use outside commercial labs, therefore helping to keep costs low.
^{I do not know where to begin. If you are looking for a quality Dentist with excellent staff then this is the place. Dr. Searby is great at what he does. He is very straight to the point and he talks you through the process. I appreciated the fact that he listened to me during the almost painless procedure. His staff is the best set of professionals that I have ever encountered in the dental field. I have and will continue to refer anyone that I know. I love this place.
Minor fractures in the teeth or acrylic base can usually be repaired by a dental lab in 1 to 2 days. Denture repair kits are even sold at most drugstores and online to fix minor cracks or replace loose teeth. Repairing the denture properly can be complicated, however, so if denture problems are noticed, it is best to contact a general dentist as soon as possible to arrange the denture repair.}

There are three main ways to replace missing teeth. The first is with a removable false tooth (or teeth) - called a partial denture. The second is with a fixed bridge. A bridge is usually used when there are fewer teeth to replace, or when the missing teeth are only on one side of the mouth. The third way is by the use of dental ‘implants'. This is where an artificial root is placed into the bone of the jaw and a crown or bridge placed on top of this. See our leaflet ‘Tell me about: dental implants'.

_{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.}
Review: My first trip to natural dentures was a visit just short of panic. I had worked with another place before and had my estimate from them, but wasn’t really looking forward to going back. They made me feel just like a paycheck. The people at natural dentures made me feel very comfortable. They were friendly, informative, and welcoming. I was running out of insurance Tim so I had a rather close schedule. And they went out of their way to make it happen. Nels worked very hard at making me happy and doing a outstanding job. I will indeed go back there when I need to and recommend them to anyone that is looking.
_{I bought a full upper denture and within months, they were way too loose. I was told by my dentist they would need relining after several months. My dentist now wants $475 to reline and fit these very thin dentures, but she never mentioned I would be charged to have these refitted. After paying $2,500 total (and unexpectedly), I was just wondering Is this the norm? Or was I just unlucky?Answer: Whenever teeth are extracted, the jawbone and gums in the areas where the teeth used to be start to shrink. This shrinkage can continue for the rest of your life, and this is part of the reason that most dentures need to be refit periodically. Because the most rapid jaw shrinkage occurs during the first six months after extractions, it would be quite normal for your dentures to be loose after six months and require relining. Because the need for this additional and continual treatment (refitting) can vary greatly from patient to patient and time to time, it is most often considered as a separate part of your treatment plan, and the time necessary to accomplish this service is billed accordingly.Response provided by the American College of Prosthodontists. Back to top}
well it's  been over a year now. and iam still a very  happy smiling!! patient  of dr. atari. affordable  dentures & implants. i have refferd several people. each person that has gone can't thank aaffordable dentures/implants or dr .atari  and the wonderful staff !!!enough.  and me too. for recommending , referring ,them. the best and great for your wallet as well..should be 10 stars !and the ladys at the front are also 10 stars! without them  what would they do ? we do ????   thank you again.  so much for my beautiful beautiful smile and giving me the ability to smile big and beautiful again.. sincerely toni barajas.

I can't began to explain in a few words how wonderful my experience has been; Dr. Dear Searby is truly a God sent dentist for people he is not there just for the money he truly care about the patient. His work is excellent and it didn't take several trips to get what I needed done. This is the first time I have found a dentist that does not try to take advantage of the patient or the patient insurance. Exceptional. The staff here are just as caring and informative this is a great dentist office and I would recommend all people to go here and put some of these money grabbing dentist office out of practice because they don't care about the patient. I have gone to one who claim has all of this fancy technology and the only thing he wanted to do was charged my insurance and for me to take out a loan and the service was horrible I felt like they we're chocking me to death literally. Again I highly recommend Dr. Searby. Thank you

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 go away. Follow-up appointments with the dentist are generally needed after a denture is inserted so the fit can be checked and adjusted. If any problem persists, particularly irritation or soreness, be sure to consult your dentist.