Tag: Dentures

Dental Implants or Dentures?


You may think tooth decay or missing teeth are only a cosmetic problem. But ignoring dental issues can lead to several health concerns, too. Around 120 million American citizens have lost one tooth or more.

Losing a tooth does not affect your oral functions alone. It influences the jawbone, the foundation for your teeth. Your teeth support the jaw and keep it together. But after tooth loss, the jawbone begins to weaken, deteriorate, and atrophy. Yes, even one missing tooth can affect the jawbone as it reabsorbs and makes your cheeks look hollow.

So, if you have suffered tooth loss, you may be wondering: Do I replace them with dental implants or dentures? Keep reading to learn more information about tooth replacement and which option is better for you.

Dentures

These dental prosthetics will protect the soft and firm parts of your gums. There are two kinds of dentures: partial and complete.

Complete dentures are more appropriate if you have several teeth missing. Partial dentures or traditional dental implants are better when several of your natural teeth are still in place. You can remove dentures at night or for cleaning. Implants remain in place permanently.

Advantages of Dentures

 

  • Customized for your jaw
  • Natural-looking
  • High-quality material
  • Allow you to chew and speak normally

Dental Implants

An excellent alternative to dentures is dental implants. In the past few decades, they have become the gold standard of tooth replacement. Unlike dentures, dental implants are surgically implants. They secure your jaw in the same way as natural teeth. It will take time for the area to heal. Your options include:

  • Permanent denture (partial or complete)
  • Bridge (helps with multiple teeth)
  • Dental crowns

Dental implants look natural. Nobody will guess you had lost any teeth.

Advantages of Dental Implants

 

  • Durable and long-lasting
  • Look natural and beautiful
  • Help you eat and speak normally
  • Restore the jawbone
  • Promote gum health
  • They consist of a safe, biocompatible titanium compound

Dentures vs. Implants

Before making this decision, consult your oral surgeon or dentist. However, there may be instances when your dental health professional has no preference, and the decision is entirely yours to make. Here are some things to consider before making your choice.

Choose Dentures If:

 

  • You’re on a budget
  • You need a quick solution
  • Your jaw and gums won’t support implants

Dentures will need daily cleaning, just like your teeth. If you fail to give them attention, it may weaken your jaw further. Your oral surgeon or dentist can counsel you on this.

Dentures take time to adjust to. You may need to learn how to talk and eat while wearing them, and they may need replacing in a few years.

Choose Dental Implants If:

 

  • You are looking for a lasting solution
  • You don’t want to replace every few years
  • You prefer your replacement to look more like your natural teeth

Dental implants are more expensive than dentures for an initial investment. But over time, without replacement and maintenance costs, they eventually pay for themselves. Dental implants may take longer to fill your gap, anywhere from three to nine months.

If you would like more information about dentures or dental implants, call our Austin oral surgery office at 512-327-7233 to request a consultation.

Does Drinking More Water Protect Your Teeth?


Dental health is essential to us all because it not only affects the quality of our smile but, in many ways, it influences our quality of life. Besides the ability to offer a brilliant smile, a healthy mouth allows us to eat correctly, breathe without obstruction, speak with expression, and get into close encounters with fresh breath.

If you follow our blog posts, you understand there are many steps to protect your teeth, like brushing, flossing, and regular checkups. Below, you will learn why drinking water can be added to that list.

Strengthens Teeth

Drinking water, including water enhanced with fluoride, is recommended to strengthen teeth. Fluoride is a component proved scientifically to make teeth healthy and reduce cavities. It supports tooth structure and promotes remineralization. Consuming water with fluoride is an easy way to care for your dental health.

Cleans Your Mouth

Drinking water, along with consistent brushing and flossing, will keep your teeth clean. It rinses off acid and residue left by some foods as well as sugars and bacteria. If these harmful residues are left on the tooth surface and between the teeth, cavities will fill with bacteria. Another benefit of drinking water instead of colas, teas, and coffee is that it doesn’t stain your teeth.

Reduces Dry Mouth

The problem of dry mouth is caused by a lack of saliva, which prevents tooth decay. A dry mouth is also uncomfortable and an indication of dehydration. Drinking sufficient amounts of water daily resolves dry mouth and supports saliva production, hence few cavities.

Reduces Bad Breath

If you experience halitosis regularly, you understand the embarrassment that comes with it. Poor dental health, built-up bacteria, dry mouth, and dirty teeth all play a role in bad breath. It’s no wonder the mouthwash and products designed to eliminate mouth odor are a billion-dollar industry. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day cleans your mouth and rinses away odor-causing bacteria.

Hydrates Your Gums

Dental health is not only about your teeth. It includes your gums. When your gums are in poor health, it could lead to gingivitis and tooth loss. Drinking water promotes saliva production essential for healthy gums. Proper hydration with water consumption will keep your gums hydrated and plump to protect the root of your teeth.

Conclusion

Drinking water is critical for several health benefits, and your dental health is no exception. If you don’t drink at least 60 ounces daily, start making steps to work your way up to eight glasses a day. Keep filtered cold water in your refrigerator and make it your go-to drink instead of Pepsi, tea, or Coke. These steps will increase your water intake and improve your dental health in no time.

If you have any questions on how drinking plenty of water can improve your dental health, we are here to help.

Call our Austin oral surgery office at 512-327-7233 to request a consultation.

Best Treatments for Sensitive Teeth


Does the idea of eating ice cream or having a cold drink make you wince? If so, you may be dealing with a common dental issue — sensitive teeth.

According to the Academy of General Dentistry, roughly 40 million people in the United States face tooth sensitivity daily. This painful zinging is hard to ignore, especially when it happens continually.

Fortunately, you can address sensitive teeth with multiple strategies, without needing to avoid cold and hot foods for the rest of your life.

What Causes Tooth Sensitivity?

A critical substance called enamel protects your teeth. Sensitive teeth develop when that enamel erodes, revealing its underlying layers: cementum and dentin.

The dentin layer contains microscopic canals and tubes loaded with nerve endings. Healthy teeth have enough enamel to shield the dentin layer and protect tooth sensitivity.

When enamel wears down or our gums recede, it exposes the cementum and dentin layers. This problem makes cold and hot foods and drinks aggravate cells and nerves to cause painful sensations and sensitivity.

Sensitive teeth develop from these factors:

  • Cracked teeth
  • Gum disease
  • Tooth grinding (bruxism)
  • Tooth decay
  • Enamel erosion from sugary and acidic foods
  • Harsh or forceful brushing

Regular dental visits and oral hygiene are essential to keep teeth from becoming sensitive. If you’re suffering from tooth sensitivity, here are some additional things you can do to help resolve the issue.

Desensitizing Toothpaste

For minor tooth sensitivity, desensitizing toothpaste is a practical solution. These kinds of toothpaste contain active agents like strontium salts, fluoride, and potassium.

Potassium decreases fluid flow through tubules in the dentin. Clogging the tubules decreases dental nerve activity. When used twice daily for consecutive months, desensitizing toothpaste will reduce the number of sensory signals reaching the brain.

When shopping for desensitizing toothpaste, choose one with the ADA Seal of Acceptance, which ensures the product meets its criteria for safety and effectiveness.

Fluoride

If desensitizing toothpaste does not address your sensitive teeth, you may require professional fluoride treatments. This procedure involves applying a potent fluoride gel to your teeth to restore damaged enamel and protect against future decay.

In-office treatments supplement the fluoride already in your toothpaste. You also may need custom trays and prescription fluoride for home treatment.

White Fillings or Crowns

If tooth sensitivity results from a decaying or cracked tooth, a crown or filling may be the best solution. Tooth damage exposes a nerve. A crown or white filling can recover the roots and restore your damaged tooth back to health quickly.

Root Canal

When the root canal experiences decay or injury, the nerves may cause pain or sensitivity. Root canal therapy removes the infected pulp. The process is typically painless thanks to anesthesia. It resolves exposed nerves in the root canal, eliminates sensitivity, and saves the tooth.

Get Help With Your Sensitive Teeth

Don’t suffer the discomfort or pain of sensitive teeth. The team at Hill Country Oral Surgery in Austin is here to provide exceptional dental care for your comfort and appearance.

Call our Austin oral surgery office at 512-327-7233 to request a consultation.

All-On-4 vs. Dentures

Fifty years ago, if you lost the majority of your teeth, dentures were the only solution. Dentures have their benefits, but they aren’t always the right treatment solution. Thanks to modern dentistry, our patients today have options for full arch and full mouth tooth replacement and restoration. Dental implants, including the popular All-On-4 treatment that provides full arch restoration using four or more dental implants, provide an alternative to dentures. 

Which option should you consider for your full arch restoration? Both dentures and All-On-4 treatment offer patients valuable benefits. Come in for a consultation with our oral surgeons to discuss your options. 

Why You Should Consider Arch Restoration if Needed

No tooth stands alone. Every tooth in your mouth is part of a team, working together with the other teeth, bone, and soft tissues to provide function and beauty to your smile. When one tooth is missing, the entire balance of the mouth is thrown off. Teeth may shift. Bite patterns change. Supportive bones deteriorate. If one missing tooth is problematic, imagine the effect that many missing or damaged teeth can have on your smile. 

Missing teeth are a drain on confidence, and many of our patients with tooth loss refuse to smile. Chewing becomes more difficult, leading to poor dietary choices and declining nutrition. Oral hygiene is more challenging with many missing or damaged teeth, compounding the problem, and leading to future tooth loss and damage. 

You can’t prevent damage that has already been done, but you can stop the process and repair your smile. Replacing missing or damaged teeth using dentures or dental implants can improve the function and aesthetics of your mouth. If you have missing teeth, call our office and schedule a consultation to explore your options. 

Dentures vs. All-On-4

Two of our primary options for full arch tooth replacement are dentures and All-On-4 restorations. Both have benefits that will be discussed in-depth during your consultation. 

What Are Dentures?

Dentures are prosthetic dental devices that replace missing teeth. Full and partial dentures are available, replacing some or all of the teeth on a dental arch. They feature a flesh-colored acrylic base that fits over the gums, usually attached with a denture paste.  Dentures are removed each night for cleaning. 

The benefits of dentures include:

  • No need for oral surgery
  • Cost effective
  • Long lasting

Dentures have downsides too. They must be placed and removed each day. They may not be as stable as an implant, causing challenges when consuming some types of foods, including hard, sticky, and chewy foods. 

What Is All-On-4?

All-On-4 is a marketing term used to describe full arch restoration using four or more dental implants. Basically, a small number of dental implants are used to support a full arch of composite, replacement teeth. As every dental implant case is different, we find the terminology of All-On-4 deceptive and confusing, and usually call the treatment Full Arch Dental Rehabilitation.

This treatment uses fewer implants to reduce the cost and surgical time of a full arch restoration while providing patients with many of the benefits of dental implants. Unlike dentures, dental implants function like natural teeth. They are permanent and non-removable and do not require special cleaning or care. Dental implants are cared for like natural teeth. 

The benefits of All-On-4 include:

  • Brush, floss, and care for your teeth like a natural smile
  • Eat all foods, including hard or chewy foods, with confidence
  • Permanent and non-removable
  • More stable than dentures

We find the All-On-4 process is superior to dentures for many patients, and often recommend this treatment. Our oral surgeons can help you decide which tooth replacement solution is best for you. 

Missing teeth? Restore your smile at Hill Country Oral Surgery, a top provider of dental implants in Austin, TX. Call our office at 512-327-7233 to schedule a consultation with one of our highly trained and experienced oral surgeons.

All-on-4 vs. Dentures

All-on-4 is a surgical procedure where dental implants are placed to support an entire arch of teeth, and a permanent, non-removable restoration is fixed to the implants. Full dentures are removable teeth that are secured with dental paste. Read our infographic below to learn about the differences between the two options.

If you’re interested in all-on-4 or dentures, contact us today.

Dentures vs. Dental Implants

As the fiеld of dеntiѕtrу grows, dental раtiеntѕ bеnеfit frоm a widеr range оf сhоiсеѕ. Fоr thоѕе оf уоu miѕѕing one or mоrе teeth уоur choices саn inсludе bridgеѕ, раrtiаl оr full dentures аnd implants. Fоr people miѕѕing аll оf thеir tееth on оnе оr mоrе arches, hеrе аrе ѕоmе роintеrѕ comparing dеntаl imрlаntѕ vs. dentures.

Dеnturеѕ

There аrе two mаin reasons why реорlе before opted fоr dеnturеѕ. First was mastication, having nо tееth оbviоuѕlу рrеѕеntѕ рrоblеmѕ when eating. And second wаѕ for аеѕthеtiсѕ; it is difficult tо ѕmilе without teeth after аll. But dentures rеаllу аrеn’t thаt gооd for chewing. Functionally, they offer аррrоximаtеly lеѕѕ than 10% of thе еffiсiеnсу оf rеаl tееth, when сhеwing fооd. Aѕ for thе аеѕthеtiсѕ, ѕurе dentures lооk good. Anу good dental tесhniсiаn can make dеnturеѕ look likе the rеаl thing. But dеnturеѕ are rigid аррliаnсеѕ аnd with thе соnѕtаnt motion they mаkе inside the mоuth as thе mоuth mоvеѕ, they have thе tendency tо slip which produces a lot оf diѕсоmfоrt fоr uѕеrѕ.

However, now, sсiеnсе hаѕ developed dеntаl imрlаntѕ that are a whоlе lоt bеttеr thаn dеnturеѕ.

Types of Dentures

Dеnturеѕ are used by mаnу milliоnѕ of people and оffеr a proven ѕоlutiоn for аnуоnе whо is not a саndidаtе fоr imрlаntѕ. Dеnturеѕ fill оut ѕаgging fасiаl muѕсlеѕ, аnd оffеr an еffесtivе wау tо eat аnd ѕреаk. Pеорlе don’t rеаlizе hоw ѕеriоuѕlу thеѕе bаѕiс funсtiоnѕ аrе compromised bу the lоѕѕ оf tееth.
Everything оld iѕ nеw again. And thе uѕе of dеnturеѕ iѕ a vеrу оld аnd ѕtаndаrd fix fоr a tооth-missing grin. Dеnturеѕ come as full аrсhеѕ – uрреr оr lоwеr, or in раrtiаlѕ fоr реорlе who ѕtill hаvе have tееth lеft, аnd in оvеrdеnturеѕ. Ovеrdеnturеѕ аrе fittеd оvеr еxiѕting teeth thаt are uѕеd tо аnсhоr thе dentures in рlасе.

Immediate Dentures

Immеdiаtе dеnturеѕ аrе fоr use immediately аftеr tееth аrе еxtrасtеd аnd during thе healing period. They are еxсhаngеd lаtеr fоr finаl dentures thаt аrе fittеd аftеr all ѕwеlling hаѕ gone dоwn.

Dеntаl Implants

Dental imрlаntѕ are a реrmаnеnt ѕоlutiоn fоr miѕѕing teeth. An implant iѕ аn аrtifiсiаl tooth attached tо a screw that iѕ imрlаntеd intо thе bоnе, whеrе your nаturаl tooth formerly rеѕidеd. An imрlаnt саn bе secured into the ѕрасе lеft bу thе root immеdiаtеlу after thе dentist еxtrасtѕ thе tооth. Thiѕ nеwеr procedure еliminаtеѕ the nееd to сut into the gums аnd drill intо thе bone. These are called immediate implants. Bесаuѕе the роѕt can bе imрlаntеd immеdiаtеlу, it eliminates thе nееd fоr a ѕеriеѕ of viѕitѕ. You will have tо bе саrеful tо lеt the nеw imрlаnt heal. It will ѕtill tаkе several mоnthѕ for thе bone tо grоw ѕесurеlу аrоund the post.
Dеntаl imрlаntѕ can replace оnе tооth оr a full set оf teeth. Thеу are a good аltеrnаtivе to dentures if уоu аrе a qualified саndidаtе. Your implant dеntiѕt will givе you a full examination with аn еmрhаѕiѕ on bоnе thickness аnd overall health. Yоu need tо hаvе enough bоnе tо ѕuрроrt thе implant аnd bе hеаlthу еnоugh tо еndurе ѕurgеrу аnd rесоvеrу.
Advantages of imрlаntѕ over dеnturеѕ inсludе the obvious–permanence аnd ѕtаbilitу of thеѕе teeth. Thеу аlѕо lооk аnd fееl a bit more nаturаl and are more соmfоrtаblе than dentures. Thеу require the same саrе аѕ уоur nаturаl teeth, inсluding regular dеntаl сhесkuрѕ.

Which is Best for You?

Onе саn see that there are сlеаrlу bеnеfitѕ tо bоth solutions, hоwеvеr if you want a ѕоlutiоn whiсh looks аnd fееlѕ more likе your nаturаl teeth perhaps dеntаl imрlаntѕ are thе option fоr уоu. For most professionals, the opinion is that dental implants are thе wау оf the future, whilе dеnturеѕ are best lеft in hiѕtоrу bооkѕ. Imрlаntѕ can hеlр you live life in juѕt thе same wау аѕ before уоu lоѕt your tооth or tееth.
Whichever option you go with, it’s best to consult with a trained oral surgeon to find out which type of solution is best for your particular case.