TMD stands for temporomandibular joint disorder (or dysfunction). Essentially, TMD is an imbalance between the teeth, muscles, and jaw joints. Our objective is to achieve harmony between your teeth, jaw joints, and the muscles that affect the way they move. This is a necessary foundation to achieve lasting results from your restorative dentistry. Mini dental implants are also more comfortable while requiring less healing time and fewer visits to the doctor.

There Are Many Symptoms of TMD That Can Include:

What Are The Causes?

TMD may occur when the teeth don’t fit together correctly (improper occlusion). This may happen naturally, or is sometimes caused by trauma or a medical condition such as arthritis. While some people have improper occlusion and never develop TMD, others experience an imbalance to the degree that the muscles react. The body often responds by clenching or grinding in an effort to correct the imbalance. This can lead to many of the symptoms listed above.

How Do I Know If I Have TMD?

Diagnosis begins by talking with you about your symptoms and history. Then we will do a thorough examination of your head and neck muscles, jaw joints, and a complete oral examination to rule out other causes and determine whether the problem is in fact TMD.

What Can Be Done About It?

We may recommend an orthotic appliance fitted to your lower teeth to balance your bite. The appliance will be meticulously adjusted over a six to twelve week period. Experience has shown us that a well-balanced bite will allow the muscles to relax and many of the symptoms will disappear. This process is both diagnostic and therapeutic, and is completely reversible. After we have stabilized your bite on an appliance, we can discover together what changes are necessary on your teeth to maintain stability for the long term. This is a very individual process, ranging from slight adjustment of the teeth to comprehensive full-mouth rehabilitation.

If you suffer from dental disease, malnutrition, or genetic disorders, you may need your teeth extracted by a professional. Losing your permanent teeth may seem devastating but dentures provide a second chance at a wonderful smile!

Your facial structure and speech will improve once you are suited with complete dentures, and chewing food will become easy once again. Immediate dentures give you a full set of pseudo-teeth while you are waiting for your gums to heal and bone to realign. No matter what option you go with, we’ll ensure your replacement teeth are natural-looking and match your facial structure.

It’s possible you may not need a full set of dentures. Partial dentures can replace any amount of missing teeth necessary and fasten to your remaining teeth using clasps. Dentures have come a long way, as today’s dentures are natural-looking and comfortable. We offer many other solutions to your dental problems with partial dentures and mini dental implants.

We will customize your dentures to fit your unique bone structure and facial shape, that look and feel great! Once a full set of teeth is removed, the process for the gums to heal and the bone to realign will take up to 6 months. Having a full set of immediate dentures during this time would be an excellent option.

Full Dentures:

An immediate complete denture is inserted as soon as the remaining teeth are removed. The dentist takes measurements and makes models of the patients jaws during a preliminary visit. With immediate dentures, the denture wearer does not have to be without teeth during the healing period. Even if you wear full dentures, you still must take good care of your mouth. Brush your gums, tongue and palate every morning with a soft-bristled brush before you insert your dentures to stimulate circulation in your tissues and help remove plaque.

And even if you wear full dentures, it’s important to visit your dentist regularly to maintain your overall oral health and get early warning of serious issues such as oral cancer.

Your dentures were made to fit you precisely and, if they are cared for properly, they do not change shape. But you may sometimes find that they can become loose due to natural changes in the gums and bone supporting them. As the jawbone begins to shrink, so do the gums.
If you find your dentures no longer fit properly, see your dentist as soon as possible so adjustments can be made. Trying to change the fit of your dentures yourself can damage them and make them unrepairable so this would be a costly experiment!
Ill-fitting dentures repaired at home can also irritate the gums, tongue and cheeks.
In an emergency, you could use denture adhesives to keep the dentures stable until you are able to see the dentist.

Partial Dentures:

Partial dentures are used when some natural teeth still remain. Partial dentures can be very stable, especially when supported by natural teeth on either side. And because they are removable, it’s easy to keep clean.

A removable partial denture or bridge usually consists of replacement teeth attached to gum-colored plastic base, which is connected by metal framework to hold the denture in place in the mouth. Partial dentures are used when one or more natural teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw. A fixed bridge replaces one or more teeth by placing crowns on the teeth on either side of the space and attaching artificial teeth to them. This “bridge” is then cemented into place.

Missing teeth can also speed up bone loss and put the health of your gums and remaining teeth at risk. In order to prevent these issues from occurring, it is important to replace missing teeth quickly.

Partial dentures are an excellent and cost effective solution if you need to replace multiple missing teeth. At your initial consultation, your dentist will let you know whether partial dentures can be an effective tooth replacement option for you.

Overdentures

People with multiple or all of their teeth missing typically have complete or partial dentures; this treatment option is called Overdentures.

Overdentures are replacement teeth retained by dental implants. Overdentures were developed to help both partial and fully edentulous patients regain a quality of life, which most likely has been missing since they lost their teeth.

Overdentures offer a variety of advantages as compared to conventional dentures. While some of these advantages are purely cosmetic, all of these can affect your quality of life, making you happier and healthier.

An implant-retained overdenture can help stop the deterioration of your natural facial contours. Keeping this bone alive and stimulated is the only way to halt the resorption that naturally occurs in areas where your natural teeth have been lost.

Denture Reline

New dentures will typically fit your mouth securely as they have been designed specifically for your gums. However as time goes on, your gum tissues will change and the fit of the denture will become more loose and more prone to movement inside your mouth. Having the denture professionally relined will help keep everything both secure and functional.

Soft Reline

Some patients are unable to wear ordinary dentures because of tender gums or sore spots. You may recommended reline the denture with a material that stays pliable for one to two years before needing replacement. Such a material is much less likely to give the patient sore spots than the standard hard reline acrylic. Patients experiencing these problems may also consider a more permanent solution of implant retained dentures.

Temporary Reline

If dentures haven’t been serviced in a long time, a patient’s gums may be red, swollen, or misshapen. This creates problems in taking impressions for a new hard or soft reline and may lead to a denture that would extend or enhance the problem.

A temporary, medicated reline material may be recommended to allow the inflammation to subside. This reline makes the denture fit much more tightly, and is usually soft and pliable. After a few weeks, the gums return to a more normal state. The patient is then ready for his or her new denture.

When a significant amount of a tooth has been lost from decay or injury, but still worth saving – a crown may be in your best interest. A crown fortifies and restores damaged teeth, letting them function and look just like natural teeth.

When a tooth is beyond repair or missing completely, a dental implant with a crown is widely considered to be the best solution. The next best thing is often a three-unit fixed bridge which uses your natural teeth on either side of the gap. Longer bridges can be used to span longer gaps.

Crowns and bridges are made by a dental technician that uses the mold of your teeth to determine the exact shape and size of the restoration. The process usually only takes a few weeks to create to help you look your best with your new smile.

The longevity of a crown or bridge depends mostly on the dental health and hygiene habits of the patient. Routine exams and cleanings as well as brushing and flossing regularly will help keep your smile looking great for years to come.

A Crown or Bridge Can Help in Many Different Scenarios

Mini Dental Implants are a fast, yet very effective way to stabilize your dentures or to replace your missing teeth. The mini dental implant procedure is only minimally invasive and can be done quickly.

The mini dental implant procedure is a much less involved process than the conventional dental implants. For this reason, the procedure can usually be completed in as little as one dental appointment.

In addition to saving time in the dental office, you will have far less discomfort following this procedure due to its minimally involved nature.

Because the mini dental implants are so time efficient, we are able to perform these procedures at a fraction of the cost normally associated with larger conventional implants.

Mini dental implants are also more comfortable while requiring less healing time and fewer visits to the doctor.

Benefits of Mini Dental Implants: