Case Presentation: Maxillary Dentures

With the rise of implants and implant dentistry, many patients assume that dentures are no longer a "modern" treatment option. On the contrary, dentures are a great way to replace missing teeth without the need for additional surgeries or trauma. Pictured above is a complete upper denture fabricated for one of our patients. It is in the wax try-in stage: this is a proposed shape for the final denture made out of adjustable wax. Once we confirm the fit and cosmetics of the prosthesis, we will have a permanent acrylic version made by our lab. 

Dentures have a number of advantages of implant supported prosthetics (and vice-versa). From a functional standpoint, dentures allow us to "replace" both teeth and soft tissue. A well made denture can create the appearance of gums in deficient areas or level out resorbed bone. Implants have a more limited range of soft tissue enhancement and frequently require other procedures to get the full effect. Furthermore, dentures have a considerable cost advantage over implants, especially for replacing full arches of teeth. 

When this denture is seated in the patient's mouth, it will be nearly undetectable during daily activities. However, some may find the idea of having a removable dental device objectionable. This is why our office offers a number of restorative services- from bridges and dentures to implants. If you would like to know more about the tooth replacement options available to our patients, please give us a call!

Specialist Spotlight-Synergy Dental Lab

At Thousand Oaks Family Dentistry, your appointment is much more than meets the eye. Behind the scenes, a network of dental specialists, labs and technicians help ensure that you receive outstanding esthetic results from our office. Today, we would like to highlight Synergy Dental Lab and its owner Andy Knapp, for their efforts in delivering our patients beautiful crowns and bridges.

Synergy Lab's owner, Andy Knapp.

At Andy’s lab, a team of technicians bring together over 70 years of design, ceramic and modeling expertise. They use a combination of proven techniques and the latest CAD/CAM technology to deliver products that fit and look wonderful. This ultimately means less time spent in our office, away from your friends, family or work. Even difficult cases can be handled with ease, through the use of digital photography and shade matching. The end result is a crown or bridge that looks, feels and fits like a natural tooth.

An example of the incredible work that comes out of Synergy Dental Lab. Through a combination of time, effort and technology, the quick impressions we take at our office become beautiful crowns and bridges. 

Synergy is a locally owned and operated business. Aside from being a part of the Thousand Oaks economy, this allows them to provide quick turnarounds and immediate support. Difficult time constraints, complicated cases and other concerns can be addressed in a matter of hours or days, instead of weeks.

We love working with Synergy dental lab because they offer a high quality product with excellent customer service. The speed, accuracy and support offered by this lab allows us to provide more convenient appointments at our office, ultimately saving you time and money. If you have any questions about Andy’s lab, or any of the other offices we work with, please give us a call. We are here to make your entire dental health experience as easy and confusion free as possible!

Invisalign Invisible Braces

One of our very satisfied Invisalign patients. Crowding was addressed on both the upper and lower arches, along with bleaching using the Invisalign trays. The total treatment took 17 aligners and 8.5 months. 

Your smile is one of your most noticeable and forthcoming facial features. Naturally, you take great care of your teeth, brush and floss daily and possibly use whitening products. Still, there is one feature of smile and facial esthetics that cannot be addressed by home care: Orthodontics. If you are interested in having a straighter smile with minimal dental appointments, excellent predictability and discreet treatment, you may be a good candidate for Invisalign.

Invisalign is a system that uses dental impressions, advanced computer programs and clear plastic trays to provide virtually invisible orthodontics. The process is very simple. On your first appointment, we will take a series of impressions and pictures and send them to Invisalign’s headquarters. After that, a representative will send Dr. Kari a digital mockup of your smile, including the movements each tooth is predicted to make. After she approves and adjusts Invisalign’s plan, a set of aligner trays are shipped to our office.

You then return for your second appointment, where we use composites (same kind used in tooth colored fillings) and a special template tray to construct a series of tiny “buttons” on your teeth. These buttons allow the trays to latch and move teeth with extra torque, when necessary. This appointment lasts about 45 minutes and you leave with your very first set of trays!

From left to right: We use the blue trays to take a quick impression of your teeth, followed by a "bite impression" using the purple material in the applicator gun (called Regisil). After invisalign receives and processes your impressions, we receive your custom trays (pictured far right). 

Most Invisalign treatment plans last around 9 months to 2 years, with about 15-30 included trays. You will be expected to periodically return to our office to ensure your treatment is going as planned. While this timeframe may seem lengthy, remember that the trays are invisible, comfortable in the mouth and removable. Any time you need to eat, brush or whiten your teeth, you can remove your appliance in a matter of seconds.

While Invisalign is an extremely predictable and effective process, not everyone is a good candidate. Those who cannot devote the majority of their day (awake and asleep) to wearing trays will encounter a delayed or entirely ineffective orthodontic treatment. For this reason, we do not recommend Invisalign for children, as “patient compliance” is especially difficult to obtain. Furthermore, certain tooth movements are impossible without traditional wire-and-bracket braces. Being a removable piece of plastic, there are limitations to the directions that Invisalign can precisely realign teeth. To determine if you are a good candidate, or address your questions and concerns, please schedule a consultation with our office.