What is an immediate denture?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Dr. Zimmer

What is an immediate denture?

An immediate denture is a complete denture or partial denture inserted on the same day, immediately following the removal of natural teeth.

What are the advantages of an immediate denture?

There are several advantages of an immediate denture. The most important factor is that you will never need to appear in public without teeth. It is also easier to duplicate the shape, color and arrangement of your natural teeth while some are still present in your mouth. When an immediate denture is inserted at the time of extraction, it will act as a Band-Aid to protect the tissues and reduce bleeding. An immediate denture will allow you to establish your speech patterns early. You will not have to learn to speak without a denture in place and then later relearn to speak with a new denture. An immediate denture will also allow you to chew better than without any teeth and minimize facial distortion that may occur when teeth are removed.

What are the disadvantages of an immediate denture?

The biggest disadvantage is the increased cost. Another disadvantage is that you cannot always see how the denture will look before the teeth are extracted and the immediate denture is inserted. Also, initially, an immediate denture does not always fit as accurately as a conventional denture, which is made after the tissues have healed for six to eight weeks following extractions, and without wearing a denture.

Why does an immediate denture cost more?

An immediate denture is initially more expensive than a conventional denture because additional time is needed for construction. A surgical stent (a guide for recontouring tissues after extraction) is often necessary and more follow-up visits are needed for adjustments and re-fitting. A soft temporary reline material will be utilized for re-fitting your denture when it becomes loose during the healing process. After the soft tissues have healed and shrinkage of the underlying bone has occurred (about six months following extractions), the immediate denture must be finalized by a permanent reline or new denture. At this time, you will be charged for either a reline or a new denture, depending on your choice.

Your doctor will discuss with you the pros and cons of a permanent reline versus making a new denture, to help you make a decision. A major advantage to making a new denture is that the immediate denture can be a spare denture if the new denture breaks, is misplaced, or has to be repaired or relined in our laboratory. If the immediate denture is relined, it will usually need to be left overnight while it is permanently relined in the laboratory.

Is an immediate denture for everyone?

Not everyone is a candidate for an immediate denture. Some people may be advised against this treatment, due to general health conditions, or because of specific oral problems.

How long does it take to complete?

Four to five visits may be necessary for the fabrication phase of an immediate denture, plus any preliminary surgery. For patients requiring a complete immediate denture, the back teeth are often extracted six to eight weeks prior to the fabrication phase. This allows the extraction sites to heal and a better-fitting immediate complete denture to be fabricated.

The fabrication phase consists of impressions, bite records, tooth selection and try-in of the back teeth. On the day of delivery, you will be seen in oral surgery for extraction of the appropriate teeth, followed immediately by the insertion of the immediate denture.

Benefits with dentures

  • Dentures work as a complete remedy for many losing the pearly whites in the mouth.
  • Self-esteem; many people feel better about themselves after getting veneers.
  • The language is usually enhanced with veneers.
  • Chewing capability is enhanced.
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry | Leave a comment

What Should You Do If You Have Cavities?

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Dr. Zimmer

Cavities are a result of tooth decay. Immense tooth ache occurs when the breach in the tooth leads down to the blood vessels which register pain and thus we experience tooth ache.
Detection of growing or starting cavities is done by a dentist. The various reasons for development of cavity are unhygienic oral activities and lack of minerals, calcium and vitamins in the body which make our teeth vulnerable to attacks from bacteria.
If you have found a cavity, you must start with taking extra care of your teeth to avoid further decay. 
The steps to follow when detected with tooth decay are the following. One must brush and floss their teeth regularly. The best way to avoid cavities is to keep a check on the amount of sugary food one eats. Also after eating anything in sugar, you must floss immediately so that there is no food particles left to attract bacteria.

In case after taking regular care of your teeth, you develop cavities then following solutions will help.
1) Fillings
Fillings or restorations replace the decayed areas of your teeth. Porcelain fillings give a more natural appearance because the filling material blends with the tooth color. These porcelain fillings last for many years without any extra oral care. Fillings serve as a very valuable replacement for when of tooth decays.
2) Crown
Teeth crowns or caps are put in use in cases of extensive decayed or weakened tooth. The porcelain caps are quite durable and offer a good solution to the cavity problem.
3) Root canal treatment
When dental decay extends into the pulp, one experiences a painful toothache. However, sometimes when a person doesn’t feel ache even with a decayed tooth, it means the bacteria has killed the tooth nerves. In such a condition, RCT comes into action. Root Canal Treatment cleans the decay, removes all bacteria and fills up the empty root canal with dental filler.
4) Tooth Extractions
This applies to severe case of tooth decay. When the tooth has damaged beyond repair, the only solution left is to extract the teeth out.

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Dental Crown Came Off? Do’s & Don’ts

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Dr. Zimmer

People want their dental crowns firmly attached to their teeth. When a crown gets loose, dentists may not always be available to replace them. In many cases, For some cases, people can temporarily recement their loose crown just like a dentist. The crown on your tooth somehow gets displaced and a sudden emptiness is felt in the area. Your teeth are sensitive and it is advisable to replace or recement the crown as soon as possible. Temporary cement usually holds the crown well for many years, mostly when the implant crown is well-fitting. If a crown does come out, it is recemented.

Checking the crown
If the crown has decay around the margins of the crown, it is usually a bad idea to recement the crown after removing the decay since it will not fit properly. It is advisable to look inside the crown to see whether the cement remains are in it or the tooth and crown have experienced a cement wash out. If the inside of the crown has black stain it probably shows that the crown was leaking for some time before coming out.

Re-cementing Conditions
Usually, the dentist will check if the tooth is not decayed and then he will remove all the cement inside the crown and then sand blast it to check if it still fits. And finally, fill it with a permanent cement. Sometimes recementation works fine, but other times the crown comes out again. This can happen because the crown doesn’t have much fabrication to keep it holding on.

Self Help in Re-cementing
One can easily cement the crown by himself at home even. Any chemist or dental store will give you a cement (eg, RachitTemporary crown cement) or proper glue to put your tooth’s crown back in place. A temporary job should be done by you till the dentist is met and a permanent work is completed. Teeth and gums are sensitive parts and you must be very careful while dealing with them.

The best advice in any case scenario if you lost the crown is to to consult with a qualified dentist, If you are in Albuquerque and want to see an emergency dentist in Albuquerque, please contact Dr. Zimmer’s office, Phone: 505-340-2890

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Does baking soda peroxide toothpaste cure bad breath?

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Dr. Zimmer

Bad breath is an embarrassing problem for the one who has it as well as who is on the receiving end. There could be no better way to avoid bad breath than to keep up your oral hygiene but even then it is a persistent problem.
Home remedies for Bad breath
Cleaning your tongue helps reduce the level of bad breath. There are other home remedies also which help in fighting bad breath. Tea tree oil or Apple cider Vinegar help end the bad breath problem.
Baking Soda is the best solution
One of the best remedies is using Baking soda. A mixture of Baking soda and peroxide changes the pH level in your mouth and thus makes your mouth’s environment very anti to anaerobic bacteria. Gingivitis, another name for the problem of Bad breath can be cured using a toothpaste made of baking soda solutions. The simple process is to put baking soda on top of your toothpaste and start brushing. The important point is to rinse your mouth well so that no trace of baking soda is left in the mouth.
Tips to remember while using Peroxide
One must never use it to its full strength. It may give you small cuts and abrasions inside your mouth or other sensitive areas. Peroxide alone can make the inside of your mouth all dry. So it is best used with Baking soda. Even then, it is advised to rinse your mouth very well after its use.
Added use of baking soda
For regular dental hygiene, one must mix a tablespoon of baking soda with two tablespoons of water and swish the mixture in the mouth for 60 seconds and spit and rinse immediately.
An added advantage of using Baking soda and peroxide is that it also helps in whitening of the teeth.

Call Albuquerque Dentist‘s office to find more information about how to maintain your oral health. Phone: 505-340-2890.

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What Sleep or Sedation Dental Treatment Can Do For You?

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Dr. Zimmer

Not everybody is very comfortable at the thought of visiting a dentist or getting a dental procedure done. This fear of visiting a dentist is commonly known as dental phobia. Dental phobia is common to many people. They feel dreaded at the very mention of the D-word. There are, however, many ways in which one can overcome this phobia. Some of the common ways are hypnotherapy, counselling, distraction therapy and sedation.

Sedation or sleep treatment is a common way used by the dentists to minimize the pain caused during a dental procedure. It is an option that is brought into play once other options like counselling or distraction therapy don’t work for the patient. It is a pharmacological way to deal with dental phobia.

Types of Sedation:

Generally, there are three types of sedation that are commonly used by the dentists. These are:

1. Intravenous Sedation: In this form of sedation, sedatives are entered into the blood stream through a vein during a dental procedure. The sedative is generally an anti-anxiety drug.

2. Oral Sedation: As the name suggests, oral sedation is given through oral pills. In taking anti-anxiety or sleeping pills a night before the appointment helps in relieving dental phobia.

3. Inhalation Sedation: Inhalation sedation is the most ideal form of clinical sedation. In this sedation the patient is asked to inhale nitrous oxide that gives a calming effect.

Who Can Opt For Dental Sedation?

Dental sedation or sleep treatment is ideal for patients who:

1. Don’t wish to experience what the doctor is doing inside their mouth. They want to be out of it. In such cases patients are given IV sedation.

2. Want to relax a bit while the dentist does his job. Laughing gas works best for such patients.

3. Can manage to convince them that nothing other than sedation can help them bear the pain that is otherwise intolerable.

4. Have fear that is associated to a specific procedure, for instance use of needles, extractions etc.

5. Don’t have much time to spend on a dental procedure. All they want is to get their teeth fixed as soon as possible.

6. Have irrational fears that will not go just with the help of a caring dentist of psychological treatments.

7. Have to undergo a procedure that involves a lot of invasion or unpleasant procedure such as some complex tooth extraction.

Dental sedation is right for you if you fear the word dentist. The best person to consult about dental sedation is your nearest cosmetic dentist.

To find more , please contact Best Albuquerque Dentist, Dr. James Zimmer’s office. Call Now: 505-340-2890

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