Fort Smith, AR dentures replace teeth for a better life

Your Fort Smith, AR dentist, Dr. Gilbert Lopez, wants to improve your life. Learn how dentures replace missing teeth for a healthy, confident smile.

When people lose teeth due to decay, accident or gum disease, smile gaps cause problems with eating, speaking and of course, appearance. Dr. Gilbert Lopez, Fort Smith, AR dentist, presents natural-looking and functioning solutions through modern denture choices.

Why Fort Smith, AR dentures?

Fort Smith, AR dentures replace missing teeth so patients resume clear speech and ease of biting and chewing. Additionally, dentures confer a more youthful facial appearance, avoiding skin wrinkling and facial sagging that usually accompanies the extraction of several or all teeth.

Dr. Lopez fully evaluates his patients for just the right denture choice. He uses oral examination, x-rays and other imaging to visualize underlying bone structure. He takes precise impressions so these dental prosthetics have the most comfortable and realistic fit possible.

Types of Fort Smith, AR dentures

Dr. Lopez crafts 3 kinds of dentures: partial dentures, immediate full dentures and conventional full dentures. Quality materials and excellent follow-up adjustments and care are hallmarks of every dental restoration he makes.

Partial dentures replace one or more teeth. Crafted from lifelike, tooth-colored, durable materials, the prosthetic teeth are mounted on a light metal frame. The frame attaches to neighboring natural teeth with small clasps. “Partials” are fully removable and last for years with good at-home care and check-ups at New Smile Dental.

Immediate full dentures replace a complete arch of teeth--top or bottom. Dr. Lopez places them right after tooth extraction--hence, the name “immediate” dentures. The Fort Smith, AR dentist takes oral impressions before tooth extraction, and the dental lab makes the dentures before Dr. Lopez pulls the individual’s teeth.

After extraction and suturing, Dr. Lopez places the new denture. There are 2 advantages to this process: one, the patient leaves with a full set of teeth, and two, the prosthetic puts pressure on the extraction site, quelling bleeding and speeding the healing process. However, as weeks go on, gums and bone both recede, changing the fit of the immediate denture. As such, the immediate denture must be relined or replaced to ensure good functionality and appearance.

Conventional dentures also replace a complete arch of teeth on the top or bottom. Unlike immediate dentures, the extraction sites heal for 4 to 6 weeks before the Dr. Lopez places the prosthetic teeth. While this allows the denture to fit accurately right away, the patient does not have teeth to wear during the healing process.

With any new denture, patients experience a period of adjustment where they learn to eat and speak with their artificial teeth. While this is a matter of practice, results are very good, and Dr. Lopez and his staff are always available to answer questions or concerns or to work with the fit of the denture.

Feel like yourself again

Enjoy great oral health and natural facial appearance with finely crafted Fort Smith, AR dentures from Dr. Gilbert Lopez. Contact New Smile Dental today for a personal consultation on this modern tooth replacement option. Ask about the special on crowns, partials and full dentures.