Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2017 | Page 87

Fashion, health & beauty
Dentures to make you smile
James Spence from James Spence & Colleagues Dental Surgery in
Ryde discusses dentures and how, even though they are less common
nowadays than they used to be 50 years ago, they still have a place.
Keeping your teeth into
old age
Could you benefit from dentures?
Nowadays we see many patients
in their 80s and 90s with pretty
much a full set of their own teeth.
This has been a big change since
I trained as a dentist, with fewer
people losing their teeth and
getting dentures.
However, about 10 per cent of
people have a tendency towards
gum disease and bone loss and
we try to encourage this segment
of the population not to smoke
and to have regular hygiene
visits, as well as looking at how
their diet can affect and speed up
gum disease. It is very important
that the bone level is measured
at every 6 month check-up and
hygienist visit, and that you are
aware of the available choices.
Dentures, although less common
than a generation ago, are still
provided for some patients who
are succumbing to gum disease
and are unable to save their teeth.
One problem we see with these
patients is that they sometimes
find it difficult to wear the dentures
due to the great loss of bone they
suffered during the gum disease
phase. In such cases it is still wise to
consider dentures before so much
bone is lost.
Experienced team
I’ve had the privilege to have
worked with the same Ryde
technicians for 35 years and
2 to employ special
we Frame
are able
Jean, nearly 80, showing her
new smile
impression techniques to improve
on many ill fitting dentures.
Anyone with such a problem is
welcome to pop in and arrange a
joint consultation with both me
and the denture technician who
constructs the teeth for us. This
service is surprisingly inexpensive
and generally effective.
Even today, although less
common than years ago, we still
see younger adult patients who
need a solution involving extraction
of their teeth at hospital under
general anaesthetic with dentures
being made in advance and
fitted at the extraction visit. These
‘immediate denture’ patients, by
acting before too much bone is
lost, end up with healthier gums,
and better bone than if they
had allowed the gum disease to
progress, and they lose the bad
breath problem associated with the
gum disease.
If you want to discuss any of
these techniques please just call to
arrange an initial consultation at a
set fee of £36.
James Spence can be contacted
on 01983 615108 or email ask@
iwdentist.co.uk.
Mini implants
We are also able to fit four mini
implants for about £1,600 for
patients who have simply lost too
much bone, and these allow the
denture to then sit very securely,
locked onto the implant base. This
is often a very helpful procedure
for older patients, or indeed even
for younger patients who might
have a partial denture.
Are you around 40 years of age
with painful broken teeth and bad
breath with a fear of dentistry?
Jane is one of our patients in
her 90s with a full set of teeth
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