6745 Sugarloaf Parkway
Suite 200
Duluth, GA 30097

(770) 279-8800

Can I Get Gold Teeth Placed in My Dentures?

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I am 45 and have very bad teeth. I’m about to get rid of them and get dentures. I am excited about the idea of getting to plan how my teeth look and was hoping to get one gold tooth put there. My dentist acted like I was crazy. Is this a possibility or am I asking for too much?

Dina

Dear Dina,

A complete set of removable dentures with a pink acrylic base and white teeth.

Yes, it is possible to get a gold tooth placed in a denture. It sounds like this was more not to your dentist’s taste. If he or she is basing your treatment on how they like the appearance, they might not be the best dentist for you. Especially when it comes to the aesthetics of a smile, it is the patient who should have the final word.

You won’t be the first person to have a gold tooth placed in their dentures and you certainly won’t be the last. Some people want the entire tooth gold; some just want it outlined in gold; some want something completely different. In order to be certain you get what you want, it would be safer to bring your dentist an image of what you want the result to look like.

Dentures and Facial Collapse

The results of facial collapse

One thing your dentist should have mentioned is what happens when your teeth are removed. You are only 45 years old and the long-term consequences of dentures can be rather severe. When your teeth are removed, your body recognizes that. As a means of being as efficient with your body’s resources as possible, it takes the minerals that were in your jawbone to help keep the tooth roots in place and resorbs them to use in other places where it perceives the minerals will be more useful. This has the unfortunate effect of slowly shrinking your jawbone. After about ten or so years, you will no longer have enough jawbone left to retain your dentures.

The good news is that there is a way to prevent this. Instead of getting completely removable dentures, you can get implant overdentures. With this procedure, you will place between four to six dental implants in the arch. Then a set of dentures is anchored to the implants. Your body interprets the implant prosthetics as tooth roots and will preserve your bone structure as a result. There are other benefits too. For instance, no matter how well fitting removable dentures are, your chewing capacity will be reduced by 50%. With implant supported dentures, they are completely secure and you can eat whatever you want without anything moving around.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Full Mouth Reconstruction for TMJ Disorder

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My jaw hurts all the time. Sometimes, I just sip soup because I don’t want to chew. Between that and my constant migraines, I do not feel I am a functioning adult. I spoke to my dentist about it and he said it sounds like I have TMJ Disorder. He’d like to do a full mouth reconstruction. My teeth are healthy, so I am a little hesitant to do this. He said it would mean putting a crown on each of my teeth. If that is the only way to get out of pain, I am willing. I just want to make sure.

Percy

Dear Percy,

Woman holding her jaw from TMJ pain

TMJ Disorder can be quite painful and it does sound like you have quite a few of the symptoms. However, jumping straight to a full mouth reconstruction seems a bit over the top to me. There are less invasive procedures that I would recommend you try first. The exception would be if your case is quite severe and it is obvious that this is the treatment you need.

If that is the case or if you try the less invasive procedures do not work then you want to find the right dentist to do a full mouth reconstruction. This is a very advanced procedure. Very advanced. If it is not done correctly, then you can end up in even a worse situation you are in now. While there is not a TMJ specialty, you do want a TMJ Dentist. What I mean by that is someone with post-doctoral training in treating TMJ Disorder.

Who Is The Best Dentist for a Full-Mouth Reconstruction

This is not a procedure that is adequately taught in dental school. In order to have it done well, you need a dentist who has invested in post-doctoral training in these type of procedural skills.

Some schools to look for a dentist to have received his training in this area are:

  • The Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies
  • The Pankey Institute
  • Dawson Academy

The best dentists work hard on their skills. They do not rest on their degree and just go through the motions with what they’ve learned in dental school. You want someone who is consistently working on their skillset.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

The Best Dentist for a Recovering Bulimic

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I need to find the best dentist for my situation. I am a recovering bulimic. While I am doing well, I hate what I did to my smile as a result. I need to fix my teeth, but am worried if I went to a strictly cosmetic dentist that he would have higher expectations than I can give at the moment. What is the best type of dentist for someone in my situation?

Ellie

Dear Ellie,

Blonde woman with a beautiful smile. Congratulations on your progress and recovery. That shows you have a lot of courage and fortitude. What you’re doing isn’t easy. One thing we can make easier for you is helping you get that gorgeous smile you deserve.

In this case, I think you will want a dentist that both has strong cosmetic skills and understands the mechanics behind a full mouth reconstruction. I would start by looking at their reconstructive qualifications because if they mess that up, you could end up with your bite thrown off leading to painful TMJ Disorder. Look at Dr. Marion’s bio to get an idea of what type of dentist you look for with these advanced credentials.

Once you have narrowed that down, look at the smile galleries for each of those dentists to see who has the artistry to create beautiful smiles. If they don’t have a smile gallery, they do not create beautiful smiles. It is important they have cosmetic skills, because general dentists tend to have an “I know best” attitude. That will not be the best dentist for you. Instead, you need the compassion and patient oriented attitude you would get from a cosmetic dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.

Why Do Dentist Want Me to Have Dentures?

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I have a disaster of a smile. I always need a ton of work on my teeth. I am willing to invest in them and fix them, but it seems like all my dentist ever recommends is the most aggressive treatment possible. I have two teeth he just wants to pull and put in partial dentures. I’m only 32 and I feel like my life is over if I’m already getting dentures. Is there another option for me?

Patty

Dear Patty,

woman smiling with dentist behind her

The Best Dentists Try to Save Your Teeth

I’m going to tell you right off the bat that this is not going to be the best dentist for you. Some smiles are high maintenance. You can do everything right with your oral hygiene but they still end up needing a lot of work. Just as teeth vary, so do dentists. You have some that will just not want to put in the effort to deal with your smile. Others will make every effort to save as many teeth as possible.

My first recommendation for you is to get a second opinion on whether or not these two teeth can be saved. It may be you will not even need to worry about a tooth replacement. For argument’s sake, though, let’s say the teeth cannot be saved. Your dentist was under an ethical obligation to give you all the options available to you — not just the easiest for him.

There Are Other Tooth Replacement Options

Removable partial dentures are probably the worst option for you. If we want to go to the other end of the spectrum and tell you the best option, I would recommend dental implants. These are like having a healthy natural tooth in your mouth again. Though, they are pricey and surgery is required because they place a prosthetic root in your jaw to mimic your natural tooth. You’ll also want to find a dentist with post-doctoral training in dental implants because it is quite an advanced procedure.

If you decide that is out of range for you, the next best option is a dental bridge. This will suspend a false tooth between two dental crowns. Of course, that means the two adjacent teeth will have to be crowned, but if they happen to need work anyway, they may be a great option for you.

Find a dentist willing to put in the work and give you all your options.
This blog is brought to you by Duluth, GA Dentist Dr. David Marion.