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Restoring the Strength of Your Smile

Dentures Smithtown

It can be a humbling experience when you first realize you need new teeth. Whether it’s due to a physical injury, poor dental health, or the natural effects of time, our teeth are sorely missed once they’re gone. Fortunately, North Country Smiles helps people regain their smile and restore their bite with dentures and partial dentures. At our Smithtown practice, Dr. Nicholas Laudati can get you custom fit dentures that are snug, comfortable, fully functional, and easy to clean.

You don’t have to worry about trying to live without a full set of teeth anymore - there are solutions that are right for you. To talk to Dr. Laudati about dentures or alternative treatments, contact our dental offices in Smithtown. Our friendly staff will make sure you get the care you need, helping you through every step of the process.

Partial vs. Full Dentures

There are several different variations of dentures, but they all separate into two main types - partial dentures and full dentures.

Partial Dentures

It’s important to not allow an empty space to remain between your teeth if you are missing one or more teeth. Other teeth may move to fill in the space, which could disrupt the alignment of the jaw, compromising the form and functionality of your bite.

Partial dentures are false teeth and gums that are attached to a metal frame. The metal frame then secures itself around the patient’s remaining teeth, providing stability and strength to the false teeth. They are completely removable, and function just as normal dentures do.

This type of denture is usually chosen as a removable alternative to dental bridges, which use metal and sometimes flexible clasps to keep the removable partial denture in place. We also utilize Valplast® flexible partial dentures. Made with nylon thermoplastic, these dentures are metal free but stay strong while remaining light and flexible.

Full Dentures

These appliances are what traditionally come to people’s minds when they think of dentures. Replacing all the teeth on either one jaw or both, these are custom made to give you the greatest appearance, functionality, and comfort possible.

People usually opt for dentures because there aren’t enough strong teeth remaining to anchor a dental bridge, or they have decided that implants are not an alternative.   Patients prefer the easy care that comes with removable dental prosthetics.

Sometimes patients can combine dental implants with their full dentures, in a technique called overdentures. By utilizing a few dental implants as anchors, a patient’s dentures can provide more strength and stability than normal dentures are able to.

The Procedure for Placing Dentures

Should Dr. Laudati, along with the patient, decide that dentures are the best way to reconstruct a proper bite, there are a few steps left to be taken:

- Dr. Laudati first inspects the patient’s mouth, dental ridges, and facial structure, to determine how to reconstruct a functional, winning smile.

- Next Dr. Laudati takes an impression of the inside of the patient’s mouth and measures the alignment between the jaws. This gives us a mold on which to build the patient’s new dentures.

- The patient and Dr. Laudati then discuss how they want the teeth to look, including size, shape, and color.

- The molds and information are then sent to a lab where the patient’s custom-made dentures are fabricated. If remaining teeth need to be removed for the full denture, then immediate dentures will be issued at our Smithtown office while the patient waits for the permanent appliance.

- Once a wax model is sent back to our office, Dr. Laudati will sit with the patient while he or she tries them out. Any fine-tuning to the color, bite, or other features will then be noted, and sent back to the lab.

- Lastly, after the requested modifications have been incorporated, the final dentures are sent in and given to the patient.

Associated Drawbacks

Although dentures are a wonderful solution for many people, they can prove problematic for some. It’s important to remember that they don’t last forever, since the underlying bone structure can change and shift over time. This will eventually cause the dentures to become loose and may cause problems while eating. Sometimes they can become discolored or worn down as well, just like regular teeth.

Still, our teeth change with us, so it makes sense to change dentures after an extended period of time as well. The new shape can give a patient a more natural look while making them more comfortable in the process.

Learn More about Dentures - Contact Dr. Laudati

This treatment can give people back their bite and their smile. That’s a powerful notion, and one that Dr. Laudati does not take lightly. If you decide to restore your smile with dentures or partial dentures, he will work hard to make sure you receive beautiful new teeth that fit great and keep your mouth healthy.

To ask Dr. Laudati about dentures or other dental treatments, contact North Country Smiles, serving Smithtown, Commack, Stony Brook, St. James and other Long Island communities since 1963. Our friendly staff is looking forward to helping you regain your smile today.