Dental Info

Some Patients may  have shrinkage of their jaw bone(s) after the denture was inserted and experience lack of seal. While bone resorption may play a role, in my experience there are a number of other possible causes.  Uneven bite is at the top of my list. If a dentures occlusion is unbalanced, when a patient closes, their denture may loosen. Another common reason is that a patients muscle attachments are being impinged on. Muscle attachments are little bands of fibers that connect the cheeks, lips, and tongue to the jaws. Over and under extended dentures can also cause dentures to be more likely to come loose. Under extended dentures have less surface area to help develop the adhesion to help keep a denture in place. Over extended dentures tend get dislodged by patients facial muscle movement or opening and closing. A patient with a dry mouth may also find that their denture comes loose easily, since adequate saliva is needed for a denture to develop proper adhesion. De...

 Even though I work hard to do excellent work and send my dental Labs clear impressions, not every lab fabricated restoration fits well in a patient's mouth. Yes, there are times when a restoration does seem to fit without any adjustments needed, but that is not what happens in most cases. Part of a dentist job is to be methodical and check that each restoration is adequate and will actually help preserve a patient's tooth. Our patient may hope that their new crown or filling maybe perfect, but that is not always the case and while it may be true that 'perfection is the enemy of good' , we should not place inadequate restorations in our patients mouth, just because we are afraid to momentarily disappoint a patient or employer. I take a bitewing radiograph when fitting a crown or after I place a new filling. Of course I have my fingers crossed that my new crown or filling fits perfectly, and often it is the case, but sometimes it is not. When this happens, I may try...