Summer and Simple Pleasures

Summer Fun
Summer time should be a time of enjoying the harvest of great fresh foods. Brbecues, and picnics abound along with summer festivals.

Not so Fun
For many people who have lost some or all of their teeth, simple pleasures like eating apples, pears, plumbs, peaches, corn on the cob, ribs and chicken on the bone, are gone. As a college student, I remember my mother in law (a denture wearer) cutting off the corn and eating it with a fork, and cutting apples and other fruit up prior to eating. She had to cut meat off the bone also prior to eating it. I was young at time and did not really understand the impact of this ritual. I was not aware that with your palate your covered by a denture sense of taste and enjoyment also suffered.

Denture wearers develop only about 30% of the chewing efficiency due to the denture resting on soft tissues of the mouth. These losses of biting, chewing and taste can also be compounded by difficulty with dentures slipping out of place. this can lead to potential speech problems due to lack of retention. The longer a person wears dentures, the greater the jaw bone loss. At some point, the denture has no supporting bone to stabilize it and no amount of adhesive will suffice.

Good News
The good news is that dental implants can stabilize a denture, or replace it completely. Mini and standard implants can stabilize a denture where severe bone loss has already occurred. Dental implants strengthen the bone and reduce bone loss. Dental implants can replace one tooth or several teeth. If you have an existing partial or denture and wish to find a better solution, consider dental implants.

I am certified to places standard and mini dental implants. I have helped many people get back to the simple pleasures of eating talking and smiling with a beautiful result.

Learn more about dental implants click here

Phillip C. Neal DDS