If the Set of Dentures Don’t Fit, You Must Pitch It
Many dental patients who wear dentures are not satisfied with the results because the shape and condition of their jaws can change due to bone loss and the loss or displacement of other teeth over time. But there is no excuse for tolerating the frustration of ill-fitting dentures. Dr. Gary Lederman is a dentist who specializes in helping patients with ill-fitting dentures upgrade to the new American Dental Association (ADA) standard of care – dental implants.
But dental implants are far more expensive than dentures, so aside from the fit, why upgrade? A dental patient wearing dentures –that fit well, mind you—exert approximately 50 psi of bite force, whereas dental implants can restore you to a full healthy bite force of 150 psi. This means that opting for dental implants can dramatically improve your quality of life by restoring your ability to indulge in more solid foods. Not only does this provide you with the ability to enjoy more foods and flavors; it allows you the opportunity to have better nutrition through food choices as well.
The other problem with dentures? When you lose an adult tooth, your tooth roots are not stimulated by the activity of chewing, and that lack of stimulation means that the root structure is no longer summoning the appropriate nutrients to maintain the place they occupy in your jaw, and your jaw actually begins to shrink through a process called osseointegation. The jawbone actually gets smaller to bring your remaining teeth closer together so that nature maintains your ability to chew with what you have left. This can result not only in functional degradation, but cosmetic deformation of your facial features as well.
When dental implants are placed, the oral surgeon inserts a titanium screw post into the jaw bone, and Dr. Lederman tops the post with a porcelain crown. The titanium posts embedded in the jaw actually fuse with the bone and prevent further bone loss. In fact, this fusion makes the dental implant and the the jawbone one, and maintains the full 150 psi bite force and the root stimulation for the areas the teeth have been lost.
To schedule a consultation to determine if dental implants are right for you, call our office at 516-882-1764.