DENTAL CARE

Q: I Hate This Thing on the Roof of My Mouth!

A: I heard two different sentiments in just a matter of seconds. Moments before this declaration as made, I saw one of the biggest smiles that I have seen in a while. This lovely woman who had lost her teeth at an early age was struggling with her cosmetics. The dentures just never looked right to her, but she couldn’t put her finger on what bothered her. She came to me for new teeth, and we spent time creating her “handcrafted” denture. I spoke about the process last week. We spent many appointments tweaking and adjusting her smile until we got it just right. When I presented her with the new teeth, she exclaimed that no one ever spent as much time with her on her smile. She was elated. However, she has a problem with dentures in general. She does not like the coverage of the roof of her mouth. She wanted to know if there was a way to eliminate it. Before we can discuss the presence or lack of roof of the mouth coverage, we need to understand why it is there in the first place. We all know that dentures are a set of teeth that sit on our gums. By nature, they move around and chewing now is an activity that requires new education and training. Some people struggle for many years and finally accept whatever level of proficiency they may have in eating as a result. There is a significant difference between an upper and lower denture. If we think about it for a moment, a top set of teeth should fall. Gravity is what keeps us on the earth. What happens to gravity with an upper denture? I am going to ask all of you to stop reading and wash your hands. Now that you have done that place a finger on the roof of your mouth and begin to move back toward your throat. Right before you start to gag, you will feel the hard part of the top of your mouth end, and a soft part begins. That soft part can be compressed or moved upwards. When pressure is put on this soft tissue by a denture, a seal will result. This seal creates suction, and the denture stays up in the mouth. So now we understand why there is the roof of the mouth coverage. If the teeth don’t extend this far back the denture will fall all the time. Is there an option to get rid of the roof of the mouth? My patient asked this question with the new captivating smile. The answer to this question is “yes.” Not only is there a solution but the time and effort that were put into her “handcrafted” denture was not for naught. Her denture could be converted to one that was devoid of roof coverage.

I just said that the denture must extend to the back of the throat to stay in the mouth. How can I shorten it and not risk it dropping out of position? The key to this question involves the use of dental implants. If a denture is anchored into place with dental implants, then there is no need to extend the end way back in the mouth. Keeping the denture up in the mouth is accomplished through the implant and specialized connections to the teeth. Now the denture is no longer a denture but a set of replacement teeth with nothing covering the roof of the mouth. What is even better than this news is the fact that you don’t have to start from scratch with a denture designed for dental implants. Any denture can be converted to one which does not have the roof of the mouth covered and is held in place by the implant anchors. The teeth are designed so that they snap in and out. They also can be created, so they are in place permanently. There are many ways to accomplish these goals and bring you back to enjoying smiling and eating again. I could go on and discuss other aspects of the handcrafted denture and their dental implants for anchors. However, my space is limited. Spring is right around the corner and time for all of us to come out of hibernation. What better way is there to enjoy this time of the year with a great smile and the ability to socialize and get out with friends. If this sounds like something that you would like to explore, please call Megan at 440.951.7856 and schedule a visit to discuss this with me. I look forward to meeting you.