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 definefolds 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 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.