Modern implant-based dentistry has provided a solution to the typical "toothless patient" that traditional dentures could not provide – immediate functionality with substantially increased quality of life – and a beautiful new smile in a day.

At the Colorado Center for Implant and Prosthetic Dentistry, we offer much more than just a pretty smile!

Dentures are a prosthetic tooth replacement device generally used to replace a full set of teeth; the upper denture and/or lower denture in place of all your teeth. Partial dentures may be used to replace multiple teeth in a patient who still has some healthy teeth remaining.

Your doctor will share with you the best ways to clean and maintain your new dentures at your insertion appointment. There are a wide variety of high quality denture cleaners on the market. Choose one with the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper denture cleaning.

As a tooth replacement therapy, partial tooth replacement is required for the loss of one tooth, or a few teeth. While the Dental Health Blog realizes this may seem obvious, the logistics of partial replacement may be confusing, so it is our goal to offer some clarity here.

Restoring all of your teeth with complete tooth replacement therapy does far more than simply improve your smile and confidence – though these are an important component of the therapy. More important than these however is this – total tooth replacement using dental implants will protect the shape and integrity of your jawbone, your mouth, and your entire face.

While dental implants can last a lifetime, as with anything else, proper maintenance will make them last longer. Whether you’ve received implants for total tooth replacement or for partial tooth replacement, you should care for them just as if they were your natural teeth if you hope to keep them forever.

We love the way so many of our patients and potential patients resolve each year to take better care of their mouths and teeth; promising themselves to brush twice a day and floss at least once each day. However, we also know that, people being people, something like 90% of New Year’s Resolutions fail within the first 30 days of the year.

According to an article in the New York Times, as of 2012 nearly 1/4th of Medicare beneficiaries had not seen a dentist in five years; the main reason for this being the cost of dental care. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that less than 10% of those over age 65 possess dental insurance as an ongoing benefit from their former employer as part of their retirement.

While the loss of a single tooth, or a few, is not nearly as devastating as losing all of your teeth, any type of tooth loss can be embarrassing, and can lead to other health problems. When a tooth is lost, the root is lost with it, creating problems in the underlying jawbone that can lead to other problems – including the loss of more teeth.

As your Littleton area prosthodontist, Dr. Jim Maroney has been serving South Metro Denver, Centennial, Englewood, and Littleton for more than 20 years. With a DDS degree from the University Of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Dr. Maroney then performed his General Practice Residency, along with a Fellowship in TMJ Radiology, at University of Edmonton Hospital in Alberta, Canada.

Replacing even a single tooth that's been lost or pulled due to damage, decay, or disease is not an overnight process. When a tooth is removed, the gums and underlying bone usually need anywhere from six weeks to six months to heal before you can get a long-term fix, depending on the replacement method you choose source: Mayo Clinic. This is because tooth loss naturally causes a change in the shape of the gums and bone support structure in the jaw, which affects the fitting of permanent dentures and dental implants. Because of this, the advertising you see which tells you that you can "replace teeth in a day" can be extremely misleading.

Unlike the Good Housekeeping "Seal of Approval," the ADA Seal of Acceptance, which was established in 1931, continues to hold value for consumers as they evaluate "the safety and efficacy of dental products".

Did you know? Human being have been using fake teeth have for more than 2700 years – all the way back to 700 BC! Ancient Inventions, by Peter Lames and Nick Thorpe, pg. 33 Back then, tooth replacement might require the use of teeth from another person, or even from an animal, with the fake teeth banded to remaining teeth with gold, and held in place using small pins. Who knew?

Keeping your mouth and teeth healthy are critical to maintaining your overall health, as plenty of research has shown. Preventing tooth decay and gum disease are the vital steps needed to ensure a healthy mouth – and a healthy body.

Once again, this subject has us frustrated here at The Dental Health Blog. It seem no matter how often we answer the question, "Can you replace teeth in a day?" we’re asked again. This is not to say we resent patients asking, it’s just that we can’t help but wonder how those who promote this type of service continue to get away with their misleading advertising.

Tooth replacement therapy comes in many forms, the most common of these being dentures, or "false teeth". Whether your teeth are badly damaged and need to be pulled and replaced, or if you’ve lost all or most of your teeth, dentures today are a comfortable, affordable method of total tooth replacement. If you’ve lost a significant number of teeth, partial dentures may be used to fill in one or more missing teeth.

As we mentioned in a previous post on the connection between oral health and diabetes, staying healthy requires more than changing your eating habits to a more nutritious diet, with a bit of exercise on the days you "feel like it". The research we mentioned in that Dental Health Blog post continues to reinforce the relationship between the health of your mouth and the health of your body.

Periodontal disease, also known simply as "gum disease," is diagnosed by your dentist or dental hygienist during a periodontal examination. This type of exam should always be part of your regular dental check-up, in order to maintain a healthy mouth, and prevent possible tooth loss.

Here is the truth about tooth replacement therapy...