Over 32 million Americans today do not have teeth and wear dentures. The majority of these people have problems with their existing dentures. This could be the case for many reasons. It is possible that their jaws were not properly prepared for dentures when their teeth were removed or that shrinkage of the jaws has occurred.

If you are one of these people, you may be having a difficult time trying to cope with some of the negative side effects such as slipping of your denture, sore spots, lack of denture stability and decreased confidence. Your poor denture fit could be decreasing your quality of life.

Advances in surgical procedures and materials now allow
Dr. Falcone to help provide you with better fitting denture that will allow you to eat, speak and smile without you worrying about slipping or uncomfortable dentures. Many treatment options exist to help you have a better fitting denture.

The term used to prepare jaws for dentures is Preprosthetic Surgery.

Preservation and restoration of your jaws starts at the time when your teeth are extracted. Bone and soft tissue grafting techniques can be done at the time your teeth are removed to decrease or prevent loss of jawbone under your dentures.

If you are just concerned with having your teeth removed and wearing dentures, your jaws may require alveoloplasty. An alveoloplasty is a procedure where Dr. Falcone trims any sharp bony edges of your upper or lower jaw to allow for denture comfort. In addition, if you have undercuts of bone in your jaws, they should be removed.

Many times when teeth are lost lumps of bone and tissue form and need to be trimmed before dentures are made. Terms for these lumps include but are not limited to mandibular tori, maxillary torus, bony exostosis, and overgrown maxillary tuberosity. The term epulis fissuratum is used to define folds of overgrown tissue that result from dentures that do not fit properly. These folds as well as other types of overgrown tissue and large muscle attachments called frenums require removal to ensure proper fitting dentures.

Many people stop going to see their general dentist once they have had dentures made. This is a mistake because regular check-ups are still the best way to make sure that your mouth is healthy. Changes in your gums and jawbone readily occur under your dentures and may not be apparent to you. Dr. Falcone recommends that if you have no teeth and are wearing full upper and lower dentures that you see your general dentist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon every year to make sure that no problems are evident.
 
If you have had shrinkage of you jawbones and your denture is slipping there are many treatment options available to help you. Dental implants can be used to help anchor a loose denture. Your own bone or bone substitutes (synthetic bone) can be used to build up your jawbones. Depending on the amount of shrinkage, these types of treatment can sometimes be performed in the office. Dr. Falcone may recommend that a vestibuloplasty be performed. If enough jawbone is evident below the muscle attachments of the lip, cheeks and tongue, firm tissue can be taken from the roof of your mouth. Acellular Dermal Graft can also be used with no donor site necessary, or lateral thigh to graft over your jawbone to provide a larger denture ridge so that your dentures will be better stabilized.

Remember, the only way that Dr. Falcone or your general dentist can recognize potential problems is if you schedule regular appointments. There are multiple methods to help you with your denture or jawbone difficulties.

Dr. Falcone is eager to discuss them with you and recommend a customized treatment plan to restore your confidence, smile and to improve your quality of life.