Tooth loss is a difficult situation. Besides the aesthetic issues, people who lose teeth due to decay, injury or gum disease experience bone and gum recession, movement of remaining teeth, problems with speech and eating and severe aesthetic issues. That’s why your dentist in Lincoln, Dr. Timothy Vacek, offers dentures at Amberly Dental. They custom-crafted to create a beautiful and well-functioning smile.
Not Your Grandpa’s Dentures
The need for tooth replacement has not changed, but dentures have. Dr. Timothy Vacek offers his patients who are missing teeth many wonderful options to bring their smiles back to natural form and function. Made from natural looking acrylic, today’s dentures are durable and comfortable and give back a substantial amount of the patient’s ability to bite and chew.
In general, today’s dentures either are partial or full. Partial dentures are removable consist of one or more artificial teeth mounted on a light metal frame. Full dentures are made from tooth- and gum-colored acrylic and are custom-molded to stay in place by the mouth’s natural suction.
Unfortunately, traditional dentures always have had a few problems. Traditional partials exert repetitive wear and tear on the teeth that anchor. Conventional full dentures–even with the best of fit–can slip and wobble, causing speech and eating difficulties. Over time, both kinds need replacement or relining as oral tissues change.
The good news about today’s dentures, however, are their partnership with dental implants in Lincoln. Dental implants, made of titanium metal screws, posts, and crowns, long have been used to replace one or more teeth. They are known for their lifelike looks, stability, and function. Plus, dental implants preserve natural jaw bone density and size through a bonding process called osseointegration.
As such, dentists such as Dr. Vacek have learned to utilize dental implants in conjunction with dentures. This innovation in tooth replacement provides patients with amazing oral function, eliminating virtually all of the problems associated with old-style dentures.
Implant-retained and Implant-supported Dentures
Implant-retained dentures are full dentures that are removable. They are placed on smaller-sized implants (sometimes called mini-implants) which are toothpick shaped and require less jaw bone than traditional implants.
Additionally, some dentists offer implant-supported dentures. Also a complete denture, implant-supported prosthetics are removed only by the dentist and give the patient the next best thing to natural teeth.
Dentures and Their Expense
Dentures vary in pricing depending on the materials used and if and how many dental implants are involved. In general, implant dentures are more costly because of the implant devices and the oral surgery required to place them. Once placed, however, implants usually stay in place for life.
The acrylic dentures themselves do deteriorate and change in fit and shape over time as the patient’s mouth changes. Expect the appliances to last up to eight years or more with good at-home hygiene (brushing and flossing according to Dr. Vacek’s instructions) and in-office exams and cleanings with your team at Amberly Dental every six months.
Learn More
If you need dentures (or want to replace the ones you have), please contact the team at
Amberly Dental. A member of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and the American Academy of Implant Dentists, Dr. Vacek will evaluate your oral health needs and suggest the treatment option that’s just right for you.