| Dentures
(dental plates, false teeth and falsies)
are artificial, removable dental prostheses constructed to
replace missing teeth.
Tooth Decay and
Gum Disease are the most significant cause of tooth loss
(Tooth
Extraction) in adult. |
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| One of the first set of
dentures were owned by Elected President George WASHINGTON. At the time
of his election (1790), he had only one tooth, a lower left bicuspid.
This set was manufactured from gold, hippopotamus tusk, elephant ivory
and human teeth. George Washington never had wooden teeth. |
| If You Wear
Dental Plates, You May Be
In Good Company.... |
- The following well-known people are:
Bijou Phillips had false teeth put in at age of 20.
Born April 1, 1980
Martha Raye - August 27, 1916
George Washington - February 22, 1732
Winston Churchill – November 30, 1874
Clark Gable – February 1, 1901
John Frusciante - the Red Hot Chili Peppers'
guitarist. Born March 5, 1970
Kate O'Mara - Dynasty and Howard's Way. Born August
10, 1939
James Dean - lost his front teeth in a trapeze
accident. Born February 8, 1931
Harrison Ford - has some false teeth. Two were
pulled by a dentist after they were damaged when he fell on a gun.
Born July 13, 1942
Lemmy of Motorhead - Born December 24, 1945
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| Today dental prostheses are
usually composed of acrylic or porcelain teeth (fake tooth, false teeth) mounted in an acrylic
base (sometimes with a metal framework) that resembles the gum.
Key Benefits
- better chewing (masticatory)
abilities
- develop cosmetic attraction
of having natural teeth
- providing support for your
lips and cheeks
- correcting the elderly
collapsed appearance
Types of
Plates
- complete or full
if you are missing all the teeth (no teeth) in the upper (maxillary) or
lower (mandibular) arch
- partial if you are
missing some of your teeth (no tooth) in the upper (maxillary) or
lower (mandibular) arch
- by prices
(affordable, cheap, low cost)
- implant retained
(over-denture) for better retention and cosmetic expression
- flexible (Valplast®)
with elastic biocompatible nylon thermoplastic base resin and
an esthetically superior
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- metal framework design
(gold and non-gold alloy) with an acrylic
base
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- soft or soft
liner for gum with thin tissues over bony areas and
chronically sore gum tissues
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The use of a soft
lining material (Silastic brand silicone elastomer) with multiple
miniature suction cups, improves retention and stability of the
Suctioncup Denture. Dentists (and patients) love it. Upper denture
has about 200 multicups. Lower denture - around 150. |
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Problems
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| New dental prostheses sense as
"food" and send messages to the salivary glands to produce more
saliva. |
| Its will also be cause of sore
spots as they rub and press on the gum and soft tissue.
A few adjustments for the weeks following initial insertion can
take care of this issue. Gagging is another concern for
some patients. This may be due to a denture that is too loose fitting,
too thick or extended far enough onto the soft palate.
Gagging reflex may also be
attributed to psychological denial of the denture. It is the most
difficult to treat since this is out of the dentist's control. Implant retained
or over-denture may have to be constructed.Sometimes could be a stomatitis
under the dental plates, which is caused by accumulation of germs.
A reline is the process of adding silicone soft denture liner to the base material to fill in where it no longer fits due to bone
loss. |
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| No
matter
how
well
your dental plates are made or how ideal their initial fit, using
denture adhesive will help maintain denture stability and confidence:
Poligrip Original,
Poligrip Ultra Fresh,
Poligrip Extra Care,
Poligrip Free,
Poligrip Powder,
Poligrip
Strips |
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| Sometimes broken
dental plates need
repair, alignment and adjustments. |
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Daily
Cleaning
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DAILY cleaning is necessary to prevent build-up of plaque, food,
calculus (tartar), and stain which can cause:
- Problems with appearance or esthetics
-
Bad breath
- Irritation to the tissues under the dental plate and
gum disease
- Infections in the mouth
THE MOST effective way for this
cleaning is by daily brushing,
in combination with soaking in a chemical solution. |
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| BRUSH regularly after each
meal, or at least before bed with a denture brush,
regular soft
toothbrush, or
ultra-soft toothbrush,
or
toothbrush V-Trim. But use a
separate toothbrush for cleaning any natural teeth you have. USE water and
mildly abrasive toothpaste,
Polident Dentu Creame,
Polident Dentu
Gel or
foaming antibacterial
Polident®
cleanser.
REACH all surfaces and
all areas thoroughly.
RINSE the dental plates well under water after meals to remove loose food debris. |
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SOAK (additional to cleaning!) in a solvent (such as Efferdent®,
Polident® Whitening,
Polident 3 Minute,
Polident for
Smokers,
Polident Partials) or
a detergent with a chemical action that removes or loosens light stains
and deposits. Rinse the
denture
with water afterwards very well to remove all traces of cleaning
solution.
Chemical immersions can be done daily or several
times a week. |
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| LEAVE your dental
prosthesis
out overnight, or out of the mouth for a period of 6 to 8 hours daily.
Your gum will have a chance "to
breathe". This also could reduce infections of the soft tissues under the
plate. |
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KEEP them in tap water or
a cleanser (such as Fixodent®), when they are not in your mouth
or while you sleep at night. Wet environment allows to
maintain the proper fit. |
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Some Helpful Hints:
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- WHEN BRUSHING the appliance do not hold it firmly or with pressure as
this can break it.
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- ALWAYS fill the sink half
filled with
water, then make cleaning your dental plates over the sink, just in case
they slip out of your hands by accident to prevent breaking.
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DO NOT soak or rinse
in hot water, this can distort the shape and fit of the
denture.
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NEVER scrape the
appliance
with sharp instruments in an attempt to remove hard deposits. Scouring powders or other abrasive cleaners should not be used
because they damage the
denture.
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- AVOID using brushes with stiff bristles
or hard bristled toothbrush,
as they can damage and scratch the
material or acrylic base.
Scratches make it more susceptible to collecting debris, plaque and
stain.
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DO NOT use regular toothpaste, bleach, vinegar or soap.
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- ULTRASONIC cleaning device is
available at major drug stores and online retailers to remove heavy
stain and calculus (tartar) at your home.
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Care of your
Teeth, Gum and Soft Tissue
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| NOT ONLY your dental prostheses need maintenance, but
attention
also requires to be given to the surrounding tissues. |
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Remaining natural teeth:
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- It is very important to keep any remaining natural teeth free of
plaque and Tooth
Decay.
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Gum disease:
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Gum Disease is a serious illness that attacks and
damages the gums and bone supporting the remaining teeth. In severe case, movable
unstable tooth needs to be removed.
This disease is preventable with professional treatment and daily
oral home care: |
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Brushing properly on a regular basis (2 times a day).
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Flossing daily and using inter-dental brushes if there is enough
space between teeth and behind the last tooth.
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Your soft tissues are important too:
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- The soft tissues and palate should be cleaned daily with a
soft toothbrush,
ultra-soft toothbrush, or a washcloth.
This removes the plaque and debris. It also massages and
stimulates circulation of tissues.
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Before reinsert your dental plates, massage your gums by placing the thumb and index finger over the ridge
and use a "press-and-release" stroke.
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To
give your mouth an extra, fresh clean feeling, rinse with a
mouthwash
several times a day without a plate.
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If you have any of following
problems:
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- red and inflamed the gum
and soft tissues
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- plates that once fit no
longer because with age, the jaw bones slowly change
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- you may need to have your
dentures re-adjustment and/or repair
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- you might need to
have a new
denture
made...
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Contact Dentist |
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| Looking forward to hearing from
you Aleksandr
V. Melekhin, DDS
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Return from Dentures to Philadelphia Dentist |
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