Neuromuscular dentures are a great solution if you've had many or all of your teeth extracted, and need a partial or full denture to replace them. While you may be surprised that an office with a focus on cosmetic dentistry makes dentures, we believe this is one of the most valuable and life-changing services we offer at VivaSmiles.

Denture wearers suffer greatly, because even a “good” denture can be a poor substitute for natural teeth. It is not uncommon for many patients to experiment with cheaper dentures due to the tempting cost savings, but they end-up with a drawer full of ill-fitting dentures and a bathroom cabinet full of denture adhesives. Many denture wearers suffer from many problems including difficulty in eating food, an unattractive smile, bone loss and a sagging face, and an increased incidence of sleep apnea.

Unfortunately, these problems plague almost 20 million Americans wearing dentures, because getting the bite exactly right in edentulous mouths is extremely challenging for dentists. Traditionally, without any teeth to use as a reference point, exactly where to establish the bite has largely been an arbitrary decision by the dentist. While the denture wearer may sometimes get by with the arbitrarily chosen bite, they often end-up with functional problems in chewing or speech and in discomfort or an unnatural look.

What is different about our dentures?

To the best of our knowledge, VivaSmiles is the only office in the Greater St. Louis Area offering neuromuscular dentures. These dentures are beautiful in appearance and function properly. They fit exceptionally well without embarrassing slippage.

We are able to obtain superior results because our expertise in Neuromuscular Dentistry allows us to better determine what is the optimal position of your bite and jaw. Proper bite is the key reason why there is typically an astounding difference in results between regular and neuromuscular dentures.

The Science

The process of creating an exact fit involves using the TENS unit (Transcutaneous Electro Neural Stimulation) to completely relax the muscles of your face, jaw, and neck so that we can determine what is the natural physiological resting position of the mandible.

Next, we use the Myotronics K-7 to establish the natural position of your bite. This technology measures the motion of your jaw by using a computerized tracking system and electromyography to pinpoint the optimal placement of your new dentures.

The Art

The aesthetic part of finalizing your denture design is where art comes into play. The same zeal and expertise we devote to cosmetic dentistry we apply to producing dentures with a natural and pleasing look. Even the smallest details are studied—size of various teeth, angle at which they are set, the golden proportion ratios of height to width, shade and color. The end result is a denture that functions and looks great. With a neuromuscular denture you will be able to speak, eat and smile with complete comfort and confidence.

Implant-supported dentures

We also offer implant-supported dentures including overdentures and the all-on-four bridge implant-supported dentures. Using our 3-D CAT scan we can plan the entire implant procedure using computer models and with the aid of a surgical guide, we can place the implant-supported dentures in an ideal position. The healing process with this procedure can be significantly faster and in many cases the denture is ready for function the same day. With these dentures you will start rocking, not your dentures!

Many of our patients, frustrated with their old dentures, only regret taking so long to get their top-of-the-line dentures. You will be able to start eating what you want, not what you have to! You will look and feel a lot healthier and younger!