If you thought getting dentures meant you could slack off on brushing your teeth, I have news for you.  Dentures have to be cleaned every day in order to avoid bad breath, inflammation of the gums, sores, and infection.  Keeping your dentures clean will remove plaque buildup, food particles, tartar, and stains.

The key to keeping your dentures in top condition is brushing all surfaces gently but thoroughly with a soft nylon toothbrush and mildly abrasive toothpaste or denture cleaner.  In between, rinse the dentures in the sink under lukewarm running water after every time you eat.  You should also soak your dentures in a denture solution for at least 30 minutes a day.  This will help to ward off bad breath caused by the dentures absorbing odors and bacteria, as well as removing stains from the surface.  Be sure to rinse the dentures with clean water before placing them back in your mouth.

There are also a few precautions you should observe to keep your dentures in good working order.

1. Always brush your dentures over a towel or a sink full of water.  If you drop your dentures, this will cushion the fall, otherwise they can break.
2. When soaking your dentures, be sure the water is not too hot.  Hot water can cause them to warp and change the way they fit.
3. Always use soft bristled toothbrushes and mildly abrasive toothpaste or cleanser to brush your dentures.  Hard bristles and more abrasive cleaners can scratch the surface, giving plaque and bacteria and place to hide, leading to odor and stains.
4. If you start to notice tartar accumulating on your dentures, take them to a dentist for cleaning.  Resist the temptation to use a sharp object to clean them yourself, you could scratch the surface.  Also avoid any temptation to try to bleach your dentures as this could whiten the pink part of the denture.
5. Keep your dentures moist when you don’t have them in your mouth.  Allowing them to dry out too much can cause them to fit differently.  When you take them out, leave them in a container of water or denture cleaner.  If your denture has metal parts, talk to your dentist about the best way to prevent them from tarnishing.
6. It is generally recommended that dentures be removed at night.  Doing so allows your gums to rest without the dentures rubbing.  Constant pressure from the denture can aggravate the wearing away of the bone, which changes the way your dentures fit.  It can also lead to sores which can become infected.

An affordable procedure that takes only about an hour can end your denture issues for good. Brighton’s Implant Supported Dentures may be just the solution you’re looking for.

You already know that dentures improve your quality of life, but almost every denture wearer sometimes has problems, usually loosening and sore spots. Plus, maintaining a good fit requires many visits to the dentist for adjustments and relines. Still, adhesives may be required. But there’s something new that eliminates these problems.

Brighton’s Implant Supported Dentures are technology that anchors your dentures firmly in place and provides cushioning to your gums as well. Once you’ve had the procedure performed, you’ll get increased comfort and can even wear your dentures while asleep. In addition, you’ll slow ridge degeneration, an important cause of loose dentures. The success rate in clinical research has proven to be as high as 96 percent.

Solving The Problem Of Loose Dentures From Receding Gums

Dentures are a great replacement for natural teeth when maintained well. Over time, though, pressure on the acrylic base of dentures leads to shrinkage of the ridge and the bone underneath. This means dentures don’t fit well and require messy and unreliable adhesive creams and other products. Adjustment and relines are also required frequently. But there is now another way.

An affordable one-hour procedure in the dentist’s office works for new and longtime denture wearers. Here’s how it works: the dentist puts in four to six narrow implants. Then, a soft silicone base is added to your dentures. This base grips onto the tips of the implants and also provides a cushion for your gums. Unlike traditional implants, there’s no cutting of gums required and stitches are unnecessary. That means it takes less time, costs less and heals quicker than other kinds of implants you may have heard about.

FAQs

Would I be a good candidate for Brighton’s Implant Supported Dentures?

Most denture wears and those who are planning for dentures are good candidates, and since as many as 80 percent of denture wearers have problems, this solution can work in many, many cases.

Are the implants painful?

There’s no pain during the procedure because local anesthetic is used. Since gum tissues are not cut and stitched, there’s little pain afterwards. The procedure is minimally invasive and soreness afterwards often lasts only a day or so.

Will Brighton’s Implant Supported Dentures stop my gums from resorbing?

Yes, it will. Bone resorption is slowed when either teeth or implants stimulate bone as expected instead of being pressed upon by hard acrylic as is the case with regular dentures.

Will insurance cover this?

Some insurances will, but most will not. Regular dentures and relines are often covered, however. Check with your insurance company or let us help you decide if your insurance is one that will cover Brighton’s Implant Supported Dentures.

Why are Brighton’s Implant Supported Dentures less expensive that other implants?

The reduce expense is because of the surgical and prosthetic protocols involved. Traditional implants involve two surgeries and a long healing time. Our implants for denture support are minimally invasive and take less than an hour. There are also fewer components needed, further decreasing the costs involved.

How long is the healing time?

This procedure is non-surgical and flapless, so there’s really no healing required. Implants are fixed to dentures immediately, and you’ll need only a few hours to adjust. Within hours, you can return to normal life — including normal foods within just one or two days.

Should I take my dentures out at night?

With traditional dentures, you may have been instructed to take out dentures overnight to rest gum tissue. With Brighton’s Implant Supported Dentures, however, the silicone liner grips onto the implants and provides a cushioned, gummy ridge, making nighttime removal unnecessary. Most users don’t remove their dentures at night.

How do I clean my dentures after this procedure?

Cleaning is recommended two or three times each day. First, rinse. Then brush with a soft nylon brush. If staining or odor is a problem, remove dentures for 30 minutes each day and soak in a denture cleaning solution. Rinse thorough with water before reinstalling.

Can dentures be sterilized in boiling water?

Definitely not. This will warp your dentures and make them no longer fit, destroying them. If dentures are to be left out of your mouth for an extended time, they should remain moist and at room temperature.

What can I do about oral care beside clean my dentures?

It helps to use your finger to massage upper and lower gums when your dentures are out to increase circulation. It also helps to brush your tongue and palate each morning with a soft nylon toothbrush. You may also benefit from using a tongue cleaner that you can buy at any pharmacy of big-box retailer.

Will I still need to use adhesive?

Traditional denture wearers use more and more adhesive as bone and gums recede. This is messy and presents a breeding ground for bacteria. With Brighton’s Implant Supported Dentures, you get retention and stabilization without adhesives. If you need an adhesive now, it’s time to visit the dentist for a sensible alternative.

What should I do if my dentures break?

Wrap them up in a moist towel and call the dentist right away. Please don’t try to make any repairs yourself. In many cases, dentures can be repaired simply and easily at the dentist’s office, then professional adjustments can be made to make sure they still fit properly.

Do dentures cause oral cancer?

Loose dentures can lead to sore spots caused by rubbing, and this can lead to infection and pain. Chronic irritations can become oral cancer. It is important for denture wearers to have yearly oral cancer screenings.

Can medications impact the fit of my dentures?

Yes, they can. You need plenty of saliva if you wear dentures. This prevents irritation of gums and increases suction between the acrylic and the gums for the best possible retention. More than 500 medications are known to cause dry mouth, including blood pressure meds, antidepressants and decongestants. Be sure your dentist knows about all medicines you take so dry mouth management can be recommended.

How frequently should dentures be replaced?

Carefully crafted dentures are quite durable, but nothing lasts forever. Still, you can extend the life of your dentures with proper maintenance. You may need a relining procedure if there is shrinkage of gums or bone. In many cases, dentures are replaced after 4 to 8 years, but wear, deterioration and other factors can change the required frequency of replacement.

What is an immediate denture?

This type of denture is made from an impression of your mouth taken before having your teeth removed. The denture is placed into the mouth over the sites of extraction immediately, so you never have a day without teeth. But since the shape of gums changes over time, relining and other adjustments are required for several months after getting an immediate denture.

What is an overdenture?

This type of removable partial or complete denture can be supported by implants and is retained by attachments.

What is an implant-supported denture?

This type of over denture rests on implants into your jaw. Using an implant-supported denture means better support, better retention and better stability than with any other kind of denture.

To make an appointment with Dr. Vinograd in San Diego for Invisalign treatment, call (619) 382–3884.

According to a new study that is proving to be thought-provoking for dentists, new mothers and researchers, there is an array of bacteria present in the placenta of a pregnant mother that may play a role in the health of the baby. It may also explain the close link between urinary tract infections and periodontal disease and the risk of premature birth.

Most shocking is the idea that treating these bacterial conditions during the pregnancy may not lower the risks, meaning that women who may become pregnant need to seek treatment for bacterial conditions before initiating a pregnancy.

Findings of the new study are preliminary, but the research indicates that additional research is necessary into a number of different aspects regarding the relationship between periodontal disease and other bacterial conditions and pregnancy. Additional study is also needed related to taking antibiotics during pregnancy.

Led by Dr. Kjersti Aagaard, the study also found that it may be the placenta that determines what bacteria is found in the gut of newborn babies, not the vagina as previously thought. The placenta is a special organ grown in the body of a pregnant mother that regulates most aspects of life for an unborn baby, including hormones, nutrition, waste and more.

This study is part of a larger effort by researchers to gain a stronger understanding of what they call the microbiome, a collection of microbes by the trillions that live in and on humans. These include bacteria, and fungi and viruses are among them too. Microbes impact metabolism, digestion and other processes and are involved with obesity, diabetes and other health conditions in ways that are not yet fully understood.

When the mixture of bacteria in the placenta is a bad one, premature birth may result. Still, the connection with bacteria in periodontal disease could not be linked definitively in this study because only one study participant had gum disease.

If future studies confirm the role that the placenta plays in the establishment of gut bacteria, that could be good news for mothers and babies who participate in a cesarean section. It was previously believed that c-section babies were missing out on the bacteria they could have gained from passing through the birth canal, but this may indicate that they aren’t missing as much as once thought. And according to the study’s lead author, a c-section birth doesn’t doom a child to a lifetime of gut bacteria deficiency.

Past studies have taken a look at bacteria present on the skin and in the intestines, vagina and mouth, but focus has only recently come on the placenta. The research team started getting interested in bacteria in the placenta when they realized that the bacteria present in the vagina, long believed to transfer to a newborn’s gut, wasn’t the same kinds of bacteria found in a newborn’s gut. So where could the bacteria in the baby have come from? The placenta was the next source to consider.

The study involved placentas from 320 mostly black and Hispanic women. In most cases, they delivered on time and vaginally, but some delivered by c-section, and some had their babies prematurely.

While the placenta has not been found to be teeming with bacteria, it is made up of about 10 percent bacteria. The intestines, on the other hand, are about 90 percent bacteria. As many as 300 kinds of bacteria were found in the placenta.

Much of that bacteria is the same kind found in the mouth, and that’s similar to what’s found in the gut of babies who are in their first week of life.

This means that the link between the mouth of the mother, the placenta and the gut of newborns is strong — and that old understandings about bacteria and its involvement in childbirth are flawed. It further means that reducing unhealthy bacteria in the mouth before a pregnancy begins could contribute positively to the health of the newborn and impact whether the baby is delivered prematurely.
Read the original article here: http://biocompatibledentist.org/holistic_dentistry/study-shows-periodontal-disease-can-affect-newborns-health/

Dental implants, while a good choice for many patients, aren’t always the best option. The critical factors in determining suitability are general health and the health and density of the available bone. If it is determined that implants are not a good option for you, other options for restoration will be suggested. If, however, it is determined that implants are a good choice for you, there are a lot of decisions to be made.

Dental implants have altered the landscape of modern dentistry in many ways, but implants are not all created alike.
The first major difference between implants in in materials. The two primary materials used today are titanium and zirconia. Titanium has the advantage of having been around and used for medical purposes for a long time. Having been around for so long, there are a lot of companies that make titanium implants, so they are readily available. Titanium’s major disadvantage is that it is a metal, though it is considered more biocompatible than stainless steel.

As an alternative to titanium, zirconia is considered to be more biocompatible. At this time, zirconia has a number of disadvantages. First is that it hasn’t been around as long, so the options are limited. Zirconia implants are significantly larger than titanium implants, making their placement more invasive. Finally, they frequently require reshaping with a bur so they can fit properly, a process that creates the potential for microfractures. When zirconia implants become small enough to overcome these disadvantages, I will be adding them to my practice.
At one time, it was thought that larger implants would last longer and be more reliable than smaller ones, but current research has shown otherwise. Still, implants vary widely in size.
Implants also vary in how the components fit together. In some cases, the crown is cemented to the implant, in others it is screwed on. Sometimes, the crown simply clicks in, a connection known as a cold weld.

In my office, when it is decided that an implant is an appropriate option, we typically go with a very small, and therefore less invasive, titanium implant with a layer of biocompatible ceramic material. The implant is placed and allowed to integrate. Once the bone has adequately assimilated the implant, the abutment (connector) and crown are attached. In my experience, the implant integrates well about 95% of the time.

Though the implants I recommend are much smaller than conventional implants, they are more reliable and less invasive than conventional implants. Their smaller size reduces the need for surgical interventions such as sinus lifts and bone grafts to allow the implant to be placed. The smaller size also reduces postoperative pain and discomfort.

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