Dentures Archives - Susan M. Dennis, D.D.S

Can’t Afford Anything By Dentures

Posted on December 1, 2025 by writeradmin.

I am in tears. I have teeth that are falling apart and my dentist says that it is not worth it for me to keep working on them. He’s suggesting that I just extract them and get dental implants. I saw that they can look great and will stay in your mouth, but they are super expensive. I can’t afford that. I’m on my own and don’t make a lot of money. If I can’t find a way to get them at a discount, then I am left with dentures, which is the last thing I want at they age of 34. I’ve been crying since I saw the price. If I agreed to do an advertisement or something for a dentist would they give me the dental implants? I look great except for my teeth.

Jessica

Dear Jessica,

Before you jump into extracting your teeth, I suggest that you get a second opinion on your teeth. Dentists have varying degrees of willingness to work hard to save teeth. Yours may be one who just wants to extract them and be done with it. Another dentist may be wiling to save your teeth and then you won’t need the implants.

If it turns out that you do need to replace your teeth, doing advertisements for a dentist is unlikely to get you free or even discounted dental implants. This is because the dentist can get people to do those for free. Needing to replace your teeth is stressful. I know you are in a tough spot and I understand that you are scared. There are a few options that may make your dental implants more affordable.

Generally, when patients gets implant supported dentures, they get four to six dental implants and anchor the dentures to them. You could instead get just two implants for your dentures. These are known as snap on dentures. It will at least secure the dentures and help prevent facial collapse.

Another option is to try an institution that teaches dentists how to place dental implants. Because the dentist is learning and will be working with an instructor, appointments will take longer. To make up for the inconvenience to you in time, they will do the procedure at a discount.

If neither of these work for you, then you could start with the removable dentures while you save up for the implants.

This blog is brought to you by compassionate dentist in Kalamazoo Dr. Susan Dennis.

Do You Have to Get Implants If You’re Only Losing One Tooth?

Posted on May 31, 2025 by writeradmin.

I understand why dental implants are important if you are losing all of your teeth. But what if you’re just having one tooth extracted? Is there the same risk of facial collapse? I do need to have a tooth extracted. At the moment I cannot afford a dental implant so I’m hoping there is an alternative for me.

Bella

Dear Bella,

Removable partial denture

While you won’t be in danger of complete facial collapse the way you would be if you had all of your teeth extracted, the area where you do extract a tooth will lose bone bone structure in that spot.

If you can’t afford a dental implant in that spot right away, you could get a removable partial denture or even a dental flipper as a temporary replacement.

You will still lose bone in that area, but only in that area. Plus, it will at least hold the space open for a dental implant while you save up for one. If it takes a long time for you to save up, you may have to also save up for some bone grafting. This is a procedure that builds up the bone in that area in order to support the implant.

Depending on the condition of the teeth on either side of the extraction site, a dental bridge may be a good option as well. With this procedure, you would suspend a false tooth between two dental crowns. If either of those teeth are already in need of a crown, a dental bridge would make more sense because you would be taking care of two issues at once.

As an esthetic consideration, if your extracted tooth is visible when you smile, you want to consider the color you will want in the long run. Once the replacement is made, you cannot change its color. So, if you are wanting a whiter smile any time in the near future, you will want to have teeth whitening done before having the replacement made so it can be made to match the color you want.

If the tooth isn’t visible when you smile, then I wouldn’t worry about that at all.

This blog is brought to you by Portage, MI Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

New Denture Won’t Stay In

Posted on April 15, 2025 by writeradmin.

I had a denture done, but have problems from the beginning. He did an impression, a wax bite, and two wax try-ins. I noticed on the second try-in that the denture wasn’t staying in, which alarmed me. I mentioned it to the dentist who said that is not a problem because that try in was about the teeth and nothing else. But, guess what? When the final denture was done it wouldn’t stay in. There was no suction. My dentist said to give it a week in order for my gums to adjust to the denture. After a week, there was no change. I went back to see my dentist. He said that there was probably an issue with the bite. He ground down some of the back teeth, gave me some fixodent, and told me to give it yet another week for my gums to adjust. As I was checking out, I heard him whispering something to his assistant about doing something called a reline if this doesn’t work. Should I trust him and do this if that is where we end up?

Kevin

Dear Kevin,

I’ll say up front that I’m not impressed. Telling you that your gums will adjust is bogus and a stalling tactic. However, this can be fixed. First, the good news. A reline should be a good solution for your situation if done right. Here is where I think your dentist went wrong and you will want to prevent that with the reline as well.

Going strictly from what you described, it sounds like your dentist took some shortcuts. While this is common practice for many dentists that could work out, in your case it obviously didn’t. The reasons that so many dentists take a short cut on these is because there is massive competition in the denture market. If they can save some money in order to lower their prices, it may get them an edge on that competition.

In order to get the best impression, your dentist would want to do a two-step impression. First, is border molding. This would use a heavier impression material which should register the denture border. This is important because the border is what creates the suction you need in order to keep the denture in. It has to press into the tissue a bit to create that suction, so a heavier material is better for that.

The second step is a wash, which is a lighter a impression material used to fill up the interior of the impression. This will register all the soft tissue.

Dentists that try to save time and money will use a medium impression material in order to do both at once. Honestly, much of the time it creates and adequate denture. Obviously not always.

The reline should get a better impression because it will get closer to accurate. Hopefully, your dentist has not already taken that impression. In that case, ask him to do the two step impression and not rely on the medium bodied one step process.

Second, I also want to recommend that you look into facial collapse, which is a consequence of long-term use of removable dentures. As you are making a change anyway, this would be the time to understand all of your options.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

Where Should Dentures Be Placed?

Posted on March 19, 2025 by writeradmin.

Can you help me with something? I had all-on-four dentures placed for my anterior teeth. Should they be placed 2-3 mm from the gumline or should they exactly follow the gumline? Mine are not following the gumline and my lips feel and look bulky. Was this done properly?

Elena

Dear Elena,

This is a gumline.

I’m glad you wrote. I think we’re having a terminology issue, but I think I know what your question is really asking. When we’re talking about a gumline, it is where the gums meet with the teeth. If you’re talking about a complete denture with your all on four dental implant treatment, then that would be the acrylic that meets at the white “tooth” part.

The problem I suspect you are talking about is where the teeth “hit” in relation to the bony ridge that the denture is placed on. Where they are placed depends on whether you are talking about completely removable dentures or something that is anchored, like your all-on-four.

If you are in completely removable dentures, then the teeth need to be placed directly on top of the ridge. If they are more forward than that, your dentures will tip any time you bite down.

If, on the other hand, you are talking about an implant retained denture then they can be placed a little further forward than that because they are secure and are not going to tip when you bite. The 2-3 mm you mentioned are well within the range of acceptable placement. That being said, there are other things to consider besides chewing with denture placement such as appearance of the teeth, the patient’s speech, fullness of the patient’s lips, vertical dimension, and their bite placement for proper occlusion. There should always be a wax try-in of the dentures before the acrylic version is made to check all of these things. I’m wondering if your dentist did this.

If your denture is attached to the implants with screws, its position can still be changed. The denture can be removed and then reset into a different position. Your dentist may be willing to do this for free. If he or she isn’t, then the fee would not be much. I hope this helps.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

Will Medical Insurance Pay for Dental Implants?

Posted on February 13, 2025 by writeradmin.

I have pretty bad periodontal disease and have been wearing an upper denture because of how bad my teeth were. I had the denture plate and think I would be better off with implant supported dentures. Is there a chance that my medical insurance would pay for this?

Katie

Dear Katie,

You are not alone in having problems with dentures. Unfortunately, you will not be able to get your medical insurance to pay for this. There are even people without teeth that can’t use dentures because of facial collapse. They literally cannot eat and their medical insurance won’t cover it.

There is a possible temporary solution for your problem with the dental plate. That will give you a chance to save up for dental implants. I would also take this time to deal with your periodontal disease, because until that is dealt with you will not be able to have dental implants anyway.

Screenshot

There’s a new procedure that was developed by a dentist in Great Britain. He realized if the denture plate was slightly curved just beneath the vibrating line it helps some patients with a strong gag reflex do better with the dentures.

Then, once you have healthy gums, you may need to look into your bone structure. Periodontal disease can eat away at your bone. That bone will be necessary in order to keep your dental implants in place. Don’t panic if you do not have enough. In that case, you can have a bone grafting procedure done which will build back up your bone so that you can have the implant overdentures you want.

Focus on healing your gums and saving up, but go ahead and try the procedure with the dental plate to make things more tolerable for yourself.

I hope this helps.
This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

What If Dentures Is All You Can Afford?

Posted on January 20, 2025 by writeradmin.

I have a problem with my teeth, especially my upper teeth. I’ve been losing enamel and most of the teeth have cavities. Many of them need crowns and a few need to be extracted. It may be easier to extract them. Every one is telling me to get dental implants, but I don’t have a lot of money. What if dentures are all I can afford?

Celeste

Dear Celeste,

Everyone is in different circumstances. My first piece of advice to you would be to focus on saving the teeth you can. Natural teeth are far more useful to you than any tooth replacement. If you were losing all of your teeth and they couldn’t be saved I would say that it would be fine to place dentures on the upper teeth. These are held in by suction.

If you were dealing with lower teeth, while you might have to start with dentures, I would strongly suggest that you save up for dental implants. It is much more important on the lower arch. This is because the dentures on a lower arch rest on the ridge of your jawbone. Unfortunately, once your teeth are removed, your body will begin to resorb the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body.

While it does this to be efficient with your body’s resources, it has the side effect of slowly shrinking your jawbone. Eventually, there won’t be enough of the ridge there for your dentures to stay in place. In dental circles this is known as facial collapse.

Getting dental implants prevents that. The implants signal to your body that you still have teeth. Because of that, it leaves your jawbone alone. This means that you will no longer have to worry about facial collapse.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

Can Drinking Soda Lead to Needing Dentures?

Posted on November 25, 2024 by writeradmin.

I drink a lot of soda and now my gums are bleeding. My dentist said it is from the sodas and if I keep it up, I’m going to need dentures. Is this true or is he just trying to scare me?

Christine F.

Dear Christine,

I’m glad you wrote. Just drinking sodas won’t necessarily lead to you needing dentures. It can lead to serious decay and gum disease, which can then lead to losing your teeth. There was a study done that showed if you swallow your soda quickly instead of sipping it and letting it sit your mouth briefly, that you are less likely to develop decay. Of course, this is dependent on your keeping up with your oral hygiene care as well.

The bleeding of your gums has me concerned. This is a sign of gum disease and will lead to bone loss and losing your teeth. Then you will need to replace your teeth.

However, this is likely still preventable. Take the gum disease seriously and get it treated. I’m not sure why your dentist wasn’t giving solutions instead of threats, but there are ways to get your teeth and gums healthy again.

When you are brushing, don’t shy away from the bleeding gums. Get in there and brush them thoroughly. You want to keep bacteria from breeding.

Problems with Dentures

If you do get dentures, make sure they are implant supported dentures or you’ll end up with a host of “quality of life” problems. For instance, even the best fitting dentures will reduce your chewing capacity by 50%. However, the biggest issue you will deal with is facial collapse.

Your body knows when you have teeth roots in your jawbone. Once your teeth are removed, it will immediately begin resorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body in order to be efficient with your body’s resources. Unfortunately, this shrinks your jawbone. At first, they will just slip and slide. Then, they’ll periodically fall out. Eventually, you won’t be able to keep them in your mouth at all.

Having dental implants placed to anchor your dentures solves all of these problems. These are sometimes called implant overdentures.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

Upper Denture is Making Me Gag

Posted on September 16, 2024 by writeradmin.

Can you give me some advice? I have removable dentures. My lower denture feels fine, but every time I put my upper denture in, it causes me to gag. Is there anything that can help me with this?

Sheila

Dear Sheila,

Dentures come with a host of problems, one of which is what you are experiencing now. There are many patients who have trouble with an upper denture. There are a couple of solutions for you. First, the ideal solution is to get implant supported dentures, pictured above. This will completely eliminate the need for anything to go across your palate. While it will help your comfort and stop the gagging, it is more urgent for the lower arch to have the dental implants.

This is to prevent what is known in dental circles as facial collapse. When your teeth are first removed, your body kicks into preservation mode. It begins resorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body that it perceives as you no longer needing because you do not have teeth to support. This slowly shrinks your jawbone. This is not much of a problem for your upper dentures because those are held in by suction. However, the lower dentures rest on that jawbone. After about ten years or so, you no longer have enough jawbone left to retain your dentures.

The best thing you can do is have four or more dental implants placed in each arch and then anchor the dentures to them. This will both eliminate the problem of facial collapse as well as take care of the gagging problem you are having with the upper denture.

An Alternative Solution for Your Upper Denture

If getting them on both arches is impossible, there is another potential solution for the upper denture. Upper dentures typically go all the way over the hard palate to the vibrating line of the soft palate. This can be a cause for gagging.

A prosthodontist, Dr. Finlay Sutton (Lancashire, England), published his technique of cutting the denture in a way that preserves the suction, but helps prevent the gagging in some patients. You could try this and then get the implants on the lower dentures in order to preserve your bone structure.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

Can I Get a Pretty Smile without Dentures?

Posted on May 18, 2024 by writeradmin.

Thirty years ago, I had to get dentures. They were never pretty, but I did not expect them to be. They were dentures after all. Recently, a friend of mine got dental implants and they are absolutely beautiful. Is it too late for me to get those for my teeth? I would love to have a pretty smile.

Emily

Dear Emily,

Implant supported dentures

I have great news and bad news for you. I’ll get the bad news over with first. The truth is you would have been able to have a beautiful smile thirty years ago, even with dentures. What determines whether or not they are pretty has nothing to do with them being dentures and everything to do with the cosmetic and artistic skill of the dentist making them. Your dentist at the time seems to have been lacking in artistry.

Now for the great news. As long as you are in good general health, there is no reason why you cannot get dental implants now, with one caveat. It is highly likely that you will need to have some bone grafting done first. This is because when your teeth were removed your body began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone to be used where they are most needed. With no teeth roots to hold in place, they were not needed in your jawbone.

Dental implants require bone in order to keep them secure. Even more importantly, you will eventually not have enough jawbone left to even keep in your dentures. This is known in dental circles as facial collapse.

Having dental implants placed signals to your body that you still have teeth roots in your mouth and then it leaves the minerals for your jawbone in place. Very few people can afford to replace each individual tooth with dental implants. Instead, they have about four to six dental implants placed and then anchor dentures to them. These are often called implant overdentures. This will give you a completely secure smile that will increase your quality of life significantly. Just make certain your dentist has post-doctoral training in placing dental implants. Also check that they can create beautiful, natural looking smiles. One way to check their artistry is by looking at their smile gallery.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.

Is She Allergic to Her Dentures?

Posted on April 15, 2024 by writeradmin.

Can you help me? I’m really worried that I am allergic to my dentures. I hope I am not because they fit really well and I’m told that is a rarity. Here’s what has been happening.

Day 1: At first everything was fine but after about six hours, I started having swollen glands and some swelling around the eyes.
Day 2: Same symptoms as before, but then my throat started to swell. I took some allergy meds and that seemed to help.
Day 3: Same symptoms, but more exaggerated. I grew a bit afraid that my throat was going to close up so I took allergy pills and removed the dentures. The symptoms eventually subsided. I left them out for a few days.
Day 7: I put the dentures back in and the symptoms started again.

I think I know that the answer is that I am allergic to the dentures, but I am hoping there is something that can be done because they really fit well.

Eileen

Dear Eileen,

Yes, it definitely sounds like you are allergic to these dentures. Having the allergy medication help pretty much cinches the conclusion. The first thing I am going to tell you is not to wear them until this is sorted out. Allergies can turn life-threatening and you were wise to discontinue the use when your throat was swelling. It could easily have closed up on you and made it impossible to breathe.

Next, you want to determine exactly what it is that you are allergic to. This will require that you see an allergist. One possibility is that you are allergic to the unreacted monomer. When acrylic is used to form a denture, it starts off in the liquid form. A chemical reaction is used to turn it into a polymer and cause it to harden. However, as with many chemical reactions, there are leftover reactants. In this case, it is the monomer. If it turns out that it is the unreacted monomer that you are allergic to, then you can have your dentist immerse it in very hot water for several hours. There is some research from the National Library of Medicine that says this is quite effective in reacting the remainder of the monomer.

A second alternative would be to have your dentist remake the denture using a different kind of material.

I do want to make certain that you are aware of the long-term dangers of wearing completely removable dentures. Your body will begin resorbing the minerals in your jawbone to use elsewhere in your body because you no longer have any tooth roots that it needs to support. Unfortunately, this will begin to shrink your jawbone until there is no longer enough of your jawbone left to retain your denture. This is known in dental circles as facial collapse. The way to prevent this is to anchor your dentures to some dental implants.

Unless you are “up there” in years, I think it would be a good idea to look into dental implants while you are figuring out what you are allergic to.

This blog is brought to you by Kalamazoo Dentist Dr. Susan Dennis.