How we support the long-term function and sustained patient satisfaction with new dentures

Southern Pine Dental cultivates strong relationships with individuals and families in Dothan and across Southeastern Alabama. Our practice is led by Dr. Durwood Nowell, Jr., a Wiregrass native and 50-year industry veteran and Dr. Brooke Bell, a native from nearby Bainbridge. You can trust our team’s expertise and capabilities to set you up for success with your new teeth! We precisely fit dentures to the one-of-a-kind contours of each patient’s mouth. A proper fit supports comfort, durability, and overall patient satisfaction. 

As true partners in our patients’ oral health journeys, we work with you to ensure the adjustment to dentures is really no adjustment at all and is seamless. We can advise on ongoing services necessary to ensure the denture continues to fit as well as the day it was provided to you. We also offer guidance on good habits related to the “maintenance” of your dentures. Our office helps you to extend the “life” of your new appliance. So, you maximize this investment in your health and well-being. 

Professional services for sustained health

All of our patients should visit us at least once every six months for regular dental check-ups. Dentures wearers are not an exception to this “rule.” During these visits, we will evaluate the condition of your denture. We also assess the condition of any remaining teeth among those patients with partial dentures or an upper or lower denture only. 

For patients with conventional removable dentures, bone loss is a continual threat. When you do not have teeth connected to the jaw to stimulate the supportive bone, these hard tissues begin to retreat – a process called “bone resorption.” This destructive process then causes the supportive tissues to change, altering the denture’s fit. 

Proper fit is necessary because these dentures rely on natural suction in the mouth to hold them in place. A poor fit causes dentures to become loose, shift around, and hastens sores, irritation, and other problems that interfere with essential functions like chewing food efficiently and painlessly. 

To combat this issue, our professionals will recommend services such as rebasing or relining as needed. These adjustments to your denture once again allow for the prosthetic to conform to tissues snugly. So, a secure fit is restored! 

For patients concerned about these ongoing changes to the fit of conventional dentures, we are also happy to discuss alternative options, such as implant-supported dentures. These dentures do not rely on suction for their stability. Instead, they are supported by dental implants positioned and stabilized in the jawbone, which function as tooth roots to secure the denture. Since the denture is attached to implants “rooted” in the jawbone, the supportive tissues do not retreat or resorb. They maintain their strength, density, and healthy contours. 

Empowering our patients

Regular check-ups are also great opportunities for our professionals to discuss tips on techniques and tools to make cleaning “partials” and complete dentures easier! We demonstrate good brushing, rinsing, and soaking behaviors. Dental prostheses are not vulnerable to damage from decay like natural tooth structure; however, inconsistent or lackluster hygiene can damage the supportive soft and hard tissues. It can also threaten any remaining teeth or the health and success of any implants that you may have, as poor oral hygiene is a risk factor for later implant failures. The implant itself is then vulnerable to a gum disease-like inflammation called “peri-implantitis.”

With adherence to credible information on dentist-approved, dentures-friendly products and techniques, your implants and other parts of your new teeth can last a lifetime! 

Call (334) 794-0348 to schedule an appointment at our Dothan, AL office today. We can get you healthier and feeling and looking better in no time.

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