History Of Dentures | Best Dentures Available

Back when I was new in the dental field, older dentists were often exceptionally skilled at creating fine, handcrafted, beautiful dentures. Back then, dentists were able to practice making dentures over a period of years and gain considerable skill in their fabrication by way of doing many, many denture cases and learning as they went. […]

These days things are quite different. Nowadays with so many people keeping most or all of their teeth, the need for full denture construction is greatly diminished. So much so, that the University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore has a hard time getting enough denture patients for all of the graduating students to make enough dentures to complete their requirements. Typically a student now completes one set of complete dentures prior to graduation. This is a real shame, because denture construction is a highly-specialized form of dental care with each patient having their own unique factors that make their case special. Since dentures are totally unlike anything else that dentists do in their practice, mastering denture case requires a considerable amount of training, time, skill and lots of practice. With the limited experience of most young dentists, there is a real shortage of skilled practitioners in the field that can meet the denture needs of our population.

To help meet this extensive need, Dr. Jonathan Silverman has taken extensive training on the fabrication of both full and partial dentures and has practiced making them for over 34 years. Only through years of making all kinds of dentures for all kinds of patients can a doctor hope to be able to bring the best technology to his patient with the right solution for the right patient. Dr. Silverman is uniquely qualified to deliver the latest technology with state of the art precision using the latest technology. He puts old-world craftsmanship and pride into each and every denture for each and every patient. He stands behind his work and will always strive to make his dentures the most comfortable and beautiful dentures that can be found anywhere. His years of experience permits him to accurately diagnose what you need and may want in the way of dentures and he has the skill, the knowledge and the caring to make sure that your denture is the very best that can be delivered to you.

In George Washington’s time dentures were gold plates with carved Hippopotamus Ivory teeth, with the two dentures attached to each other with gold springs. This type of construction is why dentures are known as plates. Look on the dollar bill and see George Washington exerting muscular effort to fight the springs that were keeping his dentures in place.

Later, in the 19th century, full porcelain dentures with porcelain teeth all formed together as one unit were considered the high-end of dentures. While quite beautiful, and very stain resistant, they were only affordable by the very wealthy. They were quite heavy and as a result, hard to keep in place, particularly for the upper. The lowers were always a problem since the fit of these dentures were a compromise at best. Since the denture bases were all porcelain, they did not take well to dropping, and could be easily shattered. Since they would have to be remade, this made them only suitable for those of means.

Early in the 20th century there were many advances made in dentures. The big one being Vulcanite Rubber denture bases. These bases fit decently, could be painted pink, were low cost, and held onto the best porcelain denture teeth available at the time. The teeth could look excellent, but the bases had none of the natural look of either today’s acrylic or the porcelain of the past. However, they worked well at a price point within the reach of most consumers.

Later in the 20th century lab-processed acrylic became the best material for denture bases. It could fit extremely well, was easy to adjust, could hold onto the teeth well, and could look very natural. They were still using porcelain teeth at the time however. These looked great, but could come out of the denture, as well as clicking when upper denture met the lower one.

Fine Handcrafted Dentures and simply the culmination of hundreds and hundreds of years of dentists trying to solve the problems of tooth loss. While there is always a way of cutting corners to make things a little cheaper, the state of the art materials combine with the best methods and fine craftsmanship have always made for the best, most long-lasting products. Take a look at the luxury and high-performance automobile industry as well as premium construction, jewelry, watches, you name it. These things retain their value over time and often increase in value the longer the asset is held and properly cared for. Over the years there have been many different solutions to the problems of crafting premium dentures. Today’s state-of-the-art is very, very different from dentist’s struggles of the past. Perhaps a bit of history is in order.

We start with a very accurate denture impressions that use materials that were not even developed just a few years ago. Mouth movements are used to create the unique shape of the borders of the denture.

On the second visit wax is used to simulate the location of the teeth and get a general idea of how the patient will look with their new teeth. Then an accurate copy of how the upper jaw meets the lower jaw is made to ensure that upper denture meets lower denture in complete harmony.

We offer a full range of cosmetic, general, restorative, and implants services in our Owings Mills dental office. To learn more about our services at The Maryland Center For Complete Dentistry, schedule a visit. To schedule an appointment, call  (410) 356-8400 or request an appointment online.