How A Healthy Smile Can Improve Your Mental Health

How A Healthy Smile Can Improve Your Mental Health

by | Aug 11, 2022 | Blog

Whether you’re grinning at the youthfulness of children playing at Penticton’s Riverside Marsh or laughing with friends over a game of golf at Fairview Mountain Golf Club in Oliver, smiling can greatly benefit your mental health. At Community Denture Centre, we understand how tough it can be when you lose confidence in your smile. Here are just a few of the ways new dentures can give you a healthy smile and improve your mental health.

Boost Self-Confidence

A smile that has missing teeth or where the surface of the tooth is discoloured can cause you to lose confidence in expressing your emotions. You might feel like you have to shy away from smiling because of how your teeth look. The bright white smile of complete dentures is a great way to boost your self confidence and feel more comfortable expressing your emotions.

Prevent Depression

Smiling is the most natural way for you to set your mind towards positive feelings and emotions. It’s tough to be grumpy with a smile on your face! Being able to smile at others with confidence and interact socially through your smile is an excellent way to improve your mental health and prevent the damaging effects of depression.

Healthier Heart

Smiling is a natural way to release heart-healthy neurotransmitters like endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. These chemicals promote a healthy heart by stimulating feelings of joy, relieving stress, and lowering blood pressure.

Enhanced Appearance

If you’re like most people, you want to look your best. Shying away from smiling can leave your face looking dour, sad, or depressed—even when you’re not feeling that way. A healthy smile enhanced by complete or implant-supported dentures will bring out the best features in your face and give you confidence in your appearance.
Happy senior woman

Book A Free Consultation Today!

With innovative technology and dentures designed for precision and comfort, Community Denture Centre is the South Okanagan’s first choice for custom dentures. Contact us to book an appointment at our Oliver or Penticton office.
Protect Your Dentures from the Sugar in Summer Sweets

Protect Your Dentures from the Sugar in Summer Sweets

by | Jul 27, 2022 | Blog

From family picnics at Penticton’s Skaha Lake Park to events like Oliver’s Music in the Park, summer activities in the Okanagan Valley always have their share of sweet treats. If you’re unsure of which foods damage dentures or what you can eat with dentures, softer sweets are your best option! Keep reading for our pro tips on how to protect dentures from the sugar in summer sweets.

End Your Meals with a Sweet Treat

To prevent denture damage, try eating your sweet snacks at the end of the meal instead of as a snack on its own. You’ll be more likely to clean your dentures properly after a meal (especially at home) than if you had eaten the sweet treat on the go. Not only does sugar damage dentures, but the trapped sugar particles can also cause bad breath. Eating sweets at the end of the meal ensures that you can properly rinse and brush your dentures.

Clean Your Dentures After Eating Sweets

No matter when you decide to indulge in your sweet snack, it’s important to clean your dentures as soon as possible after eating. Natural teeth aren’t the only ones that gather plaque buildup on the surface of the tooth and along the gumline. To clean your dentures, soak them in a water or fizzy cleansing solution and brush them gently with a soft-bristled brush.
Clean-Your-Dentures-After-Eating-Sweets

Avoid Hard or Chewy Candies

Dentures look and feel like natural teeth—and just like your real teeth, hard or chewy candies can cause damage. Biting down on hard candies can cause your dentures to chip or crack. Chewy candies can cause your dentures to stick together as you chew, causing your dentures to shift and painfully rub against your gums. Instead, choose candies that “melt in your mouth” and don’t require chewing or biting—such as chocolate or lollipops.

Choose Softer Sweets

Choosing desserts that are soft and don’t need hard bites or lots of chewing are the best option for denture-wearers. Here are out top choices for denture-friendly summer sweets:
  • Ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet
  • Frozen ice pops
  • Slushies
  • Flavoured Italian Sodas
  • Watermelon
  • Tiramisu
  • Fresh Okanagan berries and cream
  • Milk tea (without bubbles)

Book Your Free Consultation

We have decades of experience as the South Okanagan’s first choice in dentures. With innovative denture technology, our dentures are precision-built for comfort. Contact us today to book an appointment at our Oliver or Penticton offices.
Make An Impression With Digital Dentures

Make An Impression With Digital Dentures

by | Jul 11, 2022 | Blog

Whether you’re heading out for dinner at Penticton’s BRODO Kitchen or enjoying an afternoon at the Oliver Senior Centre, you naturally want to look your best. No matter your activity, innovative advancements in denture design and production have made easy to put your best smile forward. Community Denture Centre is committed to blending science and art – read our article on the benefits of personalized full or partial dentures. We’ve created this guide to help you understand the benefits and features of digital dentures.

What is a digital denture?

Digital dentures are essentially dentures made through a completely digital process—from determining the shape of your mouth and teeth to fabrication using 3D printing technology.

How are digital dentures made?

Robots aren’t going to replace dentists, but digital dentures are made differently than typical dentures. Instead of making a cast of your mouth using a silicone-based putty, digital scanning technology is used to take an impression of your teeth, gums, and mouth. That information is then used by a 3D printing machine to create precision digital dentures.

What are the benefits of digital dentures?

If you’re wondering which dentures are best, here are some advantages to digital dentures:
  • Precision Fit: The digital scanning technology gives the most accurate impression of a patient’s mouth—from the grooves in your gums to the spacing between your top and bottom teeth.
  • Long-lasting: Most types of digital dentures are made from an acrylic material that is cured under high heat and pressure, making them strong and durable.
  • Faster processing: Getting fitted for traditional dentures can be a time consuming process—from molds and shaping to fittings and re-adjustments. Since digital dentures are designed based on the exact size and shape of mouth you can enjoy life with your new dentures within a couple of weeks from your first digital scan.

How much do digital dentures cost?

The cost of digital dentures varies from patient to patient, but the processes and materials used to make digital dentures are less expensive than traditional dentures. The scanning technology gives denture wearers a more accurate fit, so there are typically less visits to the denturist for fittings, re-shaping, and adjustments.
Modern dental equipment for dentures

Book Your Free Consultation

If you’re looking for where to get digital dentures, We’re the South Okanagan’s trusted leader in custom dentures. With innovative denture technology, we put the benefits of digital dentures into action. Contact us today to book an appointment at our Oliver or Penticton office.
Will Wearing Dentures Change Your Face Shape?

Will Wearing Dentures Change Your Face Shape?

by | Jun 21, 2022 | Blog

When some people get new dentures, they are surprised by how different they look. Each denture-wearer is different—and their reasons for needing dentures vary. But a common outcome for everyone who wears dentures is that it will change the shape of your face—here’s why!

Realigns Your Jaw

For patients wearing full or partial dentures, they may have previously gone through a long period of time without some or all of their teeth. This lack of oral structure may have caused their jaw to become misaligned to compensate for the missing teeth. New dentures give your mouth structure again—and puts your jaw back into a more natural position. This readjustment will likely cause some positive cosmetic changes to your face, like symmetry and more prominent jaw position.

Fullness in Cheeks

Upper and lower teeth give your mouth substance and create a fullness in your cheeks. If you haven’t had full teeth for a while, your new dentures can make it feel like your cheeks are “puffy”—but they are returning your face to a more natural shape. It can be hard for patients to notice their cheeks are slightly sunken near the areas of their mouth that don’t have teeth, but the fullness is noticeable again once those gaps are filled by a set of dentures.

Sagging Jowls

Some older denture patients notice a change in their face shape that isn’t so desirable. Their lack of teeth, bone reabsorption, and receding gums can cause a sallow or sunken appearance along the jawline. Dentures add back some of the volume to give the mouth a fuller look, but they don’t replace the muscle, fat, and tissue that may have been lost during tooth extraction.

Improved Appearance

Many denture patients experience an improvement in their appearance because they have more structure in their mouth, increased fullness in their face, and a bright, beautiful smile. It just takes some getting used to. At Community Denture Centre, we work with you to properly align your dentures and find your perfect fit!
Portrait elderly man with candid wide smile looking

Book Your Free Consultation

Community Denture Centre specializes in precision dentures designed for performance and comfort. We proudly serve the South Okanagan Region with offices in Oliver and Penticton. Contact us today to book your appointment or free consultation.
Tips to Quickly Get Used to Wearing Dentures

Tips to Quickly Get Used to Wearing Dentures

by | Jun 9, 2022 | Blog

Adjusting to new dentures can take some getting used to. Even though they look natural and give you back your smile after tooth damage or loss, they’re not your original teeth. For most new denture-wearers, it can take up to a month to become comfortable wearing them. In addition to adapting to a new way of smiling, eating, speaking, and drinking, your mouth is also getting used to the feeling and functionality of dentures. Community Denture Centre understands this period of adjustment—we’ve created this quick guide to help you quickly adapt!

Prepare for Initial Discomfort

For most people new to wearing dentures, there is an initial period of discomfort—usually lasting around 30 days. Being prepared can help you get through this period and understand that any pain or irritation you may feel is just temporary. Tricks like wearing denture soft liners will provide some cushion between your dentures and your soft gum tissue. Keep in mind that you may also experience some minor jaw pain as your mouth adjusts to no longer having natural teeth.

Eat Soft Foods

Learning to bite and chew with your new dentures may feel a bit different too. To help with your new set of teeth, start with softer foods. Foods like pasta, mashed potatoes, and oatmeal can help you adapt to your new smile without causing additional irritation. Softer foods can also prevent your dentures from shifting during eating, which may cause gum soreness during the first few weeks.
Book-A-Free-Consultation-communitydenturecentre

Avoid Sticky Foods

Certain foods can stick to dentures and cause increased movement of your dental appliance as you chew or try to remove the stuck-on bits with your tongue. Chewing on sticky foods like caramel and hard candies can cause your dentures to move or shift in your mouth and increase gum inflammation. In addition, sticky foods can also make it hard to clean your dentures properly.

Book A Free Consultation

Community Denture Centre specializes in custom dentures designed for comfort and performance. If you are thinking it’s time to replace a tooth, or upgrade your current dentures, give us a call. We have 2 offices to serve the South Okanagan Region in Penticton and Oliver. Contact us today to book your appointment or free consultation.

Can You Wear Dentures Overnight?

Can You Wear Dentures Overnight?

by | May 26, 2022 | Blog

Wearing dentures for extended periods can be beneficial for the wearer because it makes your false teeth feel more natural and second nature. Wearing dentures overnight, however, is not recommended. We wrote this article to help you understand the risks associated:
  • Potential bone loss: Wearing your dentures while you sleep can put additional pressure on your gums and accelerate bone loss and gum resorption. Putting your dentures away for the night relieves gum pressure and allows the bone underneath time to strengthen.
  • Loose fit and misalignment: With the added pressure on your gums and resulting bone loss, wearing your dentures overnight can cause your dentures to fit loosely during the day. A loose fit can cause irritated gums, abrasions, and difficulty biting or chewing.
  • Increased bacterial growth: Taking your dentures out at night gives you a chance to clean and sanitize them properly. It also allows you to properly clean your mouth with a sanitizing rinse. Wearing dentures overnight can lead to bacterial overgrowth and gum infections.
  • Promotes gum inflammation: Wearing dentures at night can block the natural flow of saliva and make your mouth dry. This lack of moisture can lead to oral thrush and swollen, inflamed gums. The denture itself can also shift and rub against your gums as you sleep, leading to abrasions, sores, and potential infection.
  • It might damage your dentures: Wearing dentures while you sleep may cause damage to them. Since the inside of the mouth is acidic, it can cause premature deterioration if you wear them all the time. You should remove your dentures for at least 6 hours each day—they should be cleaned or placed in an anti-bacterial solution.
it-might-damage-your-dentures

Contact Us for An Appointment Today!

Thinking it’s time to consider dentures? Community Denture Centre specializes in making custom dentures designed for long-lasting performance and comfort. We proudly serve the South Okanagan with offices in Oliver and Penticton. Contact us today for a free consultation or to book an appointment.