Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

Will my lower denture move around when I speak or eat?

What usually causes the lower denture to move during speech are the borders of the denture are too long and contact the muscles which lifts the denture. With linear occlusion, the borders end where the muscles attach to the bone, not beyond. So, unless you purposely push against it with your tongue, it will not move. Movement during eating occurs if the front teeth contact (they don't with linear occlusion) or the opposing back teeth ride up on cusp inclines causing tipping. With linear occlusion, the blades contact a flat surface and the forces are vertical, seating the dentures.

Will I be able to bite with the front teeth?

Remember, the front teeth are for speech and appearance. The back teeth are for eating. When you bite in the front with linear occlusion, the front teeth will be slightly out of contact when the back teeth contact so you finish with a tearing motion. You are better off not biting in the front, but if you do, push up and back with whatever you're biting to stabilize the upper denture until the back teeth touch.

Will these new teeth be as good as my natural teeth?

No artificial substitute will ever be as good as your natural teeth when you were young. But they will be better than the set you now have.

Will these teeth look different from the ones I now Have?

Generally speaking they will look different because they will brought back to where your natural teeth were positioned to achieve the needed lip support. In addition, they will be arranged so as not to be monotonous and to better reflect light which will make them appear more vital or alive.

Will they feel different?

Most definitely. Your lower jaw will be repositioned where the muscles and bony contours of the articulating joint guide it rather than forward where it is now. Also, because of the bone you have lost, your jaws and teeth are now too close together. Your new teeth will replace the lost bone and therefore will be bigger than those you now have. Consequently they will contact sooner and it will take a short time for the muscles to "reeducate" themselves to the fact that they don't have to contract as much as before to bring the teeth together.

Why are the teeth porcelain rather than plastic?

There are two main reasons. First, porcelain front teeth have more vitality and luster than plastic and stay that way longer. Second, the back teeth are porcelain because the blades will wear slower and will be sharper longer for functional efficiency.

Won't the "click" when they come together?

We've all heard people whose dentures click and clatter when speaking, but that's because the lower denture comes loose due to the muscles lifting the lower denture while the lips are apart. When eating, your lips are together and the teeth will only come together after you have chewed for awhile. You may hear them then because of their proximity to your ears, but not your dinner partner three feet away.

Won't porcelain teeth chip and break more easily than plastic?

Nothing is indestructible, but with proper care and handling, they will not chip during normal function while working better. The advantages outweigh the risks of breakage.

You said the front teeth will not touch or overlap. Won't that gap be noticeable?

Not really. The only time your teeth are visible is during speech or when smiling and they are normally not in contact at that time. When you swallow or chew, the lips are together and therefore, the teeth are not visible. No one will be able to tell how the teeth relate to one another.

These back teeth don't look like the teeth in my old denture.

Linear occlusion is a different concept of and approach to occlusion. In the past, it was erroroniously thought that if we make artificial teeth look like natural teeth, they would function like natural teeth. This is not possible since the artificial ones are not attached to the bone like natural teeth. With this concept we have make the teeth to be more mechanically efficient like a knife on a chopping block rather than a meat tenderizer. From a distance no one can tell the difference.