DENTURES AND DENTAL APPLIANCES

Dentures and Partial Dentures

Dentures are made to look like your natural teeth and are beneficial as a replacement for missing teeth. Dentures can help improve chewing and nutrition as well as your speech. There are two main types of dentures, complete dentures and partial dentures. Complete dentures are used when all of the teeth are missing in an arch. Partial dentures are used to replace the loss of several teeth in an area.

At Tidewater Family Dentistry, we will take impressions, or molds of your arch to create custom dentures for your new smile. Once your dentures are made, you will come to the office for a fitting and it is not uncommon for denture fittings to take several appointments. We want you to feel comfortable with your new appliance. You may experience a period of increased saliva, soreness, speech challenges or difficulty chewing. You will soon subside as you get used to your new dentures.

If you are interested in learning more about how dentures can improve your life as well as your ability to chew and speak, call Tidewater Family Dentistry today at (757) 874-6712.

Bleaching Trays

Tidewater Family Dentistry is pleased to provide custom bleaching trays for patients looking to enhance their smile through whitening. Our custom bleaching trays are soft, flexible and quite comfortable to use during the bleaching process. The process involves taking an impression of your teeth to create a customized bleaching tray. Once your tray is made, you will come into the office for a fitting where we will trim or adjust your tray to make sure it is comfortable for you.

If you are interested in learning more about Teeth Whitening or would like to inquire about custom bleaching trays and at-home bleaching kits, please call Tidewater Family Dentistry at (757) 874-6712.

Bruxism/Bite Guards

Do you ever wake up with a sore jaw or sore teeth? It is possible that you have nighttime bruxism or grind/clench your teeth during sleep. This common sleep disorder affects the majority of people at some point in life. Not only can this disorder cause discomfort or pain, it also places undo wear and tear on teeth due to the powerful forces exerted when clenching or grinding. Bruxism causes gum recession and tooth loss if left untreated. Your dentist will be able to identify if your nighttime bruxism is affecting your teeth adversely.

At Tidewater Family Dentistry, we custom make a night guard appliance to protect your teeth and jaw joint against the forces of nighttime clenching or grinding. Once we take an impression or mold of your teeth, the lab will create a night guard made of a comfortable acrylic material. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment for a night guard, please call (757) 874-6712 today.

Athletic Mouth Guards

Mouth guards are an essential part of equipment that should be used for any person participating in high contact sports. Mouth guards are made to fit securely over the top teeth to protect them from injury should there be a fall or a collision with another player during a sporting or recreational activity. Mouth guards help reduce the rate of sports related dental injuries and reduce the severity.

There are several types of mouth guards that can protect your teeth during high contact activities.

• Stock Athletic Guards – available at most sporting goods stores and come in a universal or one size fits all not adjustable style. These mouth guards are affordable and offer minimal protection against dental injuries; however, if you are in a time crunch – some protection is always better than none.
• Boil and Bite Guards – available in the pharmacy or sporting good stores. These mouth guards require some preparation to use, they will need to be placed in hot water and then placed in the mouth to form a protective arch around the teeth. Boil and bite mouth guards offer more protection than the standard issue athletic mouth guard.
• Customized Athletic Guard – A custom mouth guard is made by the dentist after an impression is taken of the upper teeth. The custom mouth guard offers the most protection against dental injuries even though they are slightly more expensive and take about a week to make.

Tidewater Family Dentistry located in Newport News, VA is pleased to provide custom made mouth guards for athletes participating in a high contact sport or recreational activity. Remember – the best mouth guards are the ones that are worn! To inquire about a custom made mouth guard for you or your star athlete call (757) 874-6712 today.