Dentures – Then and Now
George Washington’s dentures – were not wooden but were made from gold, ivory, lead, human and animal teeth (horse and donkey teeth were common denture components). The dentures had springs to help them open and bolts to hold them together.
Humnankind has been struggling with the replacement of decaying or lost teeth for literally thousands of years. Ivory or bone replacements for lost teeth date back to 700 B.C.
While improved dental care has caused a decline in tooth loss in recent years, it is predicted that the number of patients requiring dentures will actually increase with the advancing age of the large “baby boomer” generation.
Modern dentistry and the availability of vastly improved materials have made great headway in providing dentures that are more functional and better appearing.
Still, there are denture patients whose teeth are obviously dentures – unnaturally even teeth or sometimes the “Popeye” look – and who struggle with functional problems such as difficulty in chewing tough foods and speech interference.
People with dentures commonly report discomfort or even associated pain as well as dissatisfaction with their appearances.
Neuromuscular Dentistry and Dentures Today
Dr. Fallah, a Neuromuscular Dentist, precisely measures muscle and joint involvement in a bite. He then develops functional, precise customized, natural-looking, and comfortable dentures (something George Washington could have used for a better-looking profile and a lot less pain in his life).
Dr. Fallah utilizes detailed computer-generated information concerning the status and function of a myriad of elements involved in your bite (occlusion) in addition to all of the traditional means of dental diagnosis.
