My Dog Ate My Denture!

Dr. Mark Grucella, DDS • Nov 20, 2019

You’ve probably heard the phrase “My Dog Ate My Homework” but have you ever heard “My Dog Ate My Denture”?

In our 50+ year history fabricating and repairing custom dentures locally in the greater Akron and Canton areas, it’s actually something we’ve heard many times.

Why Dogs Eat Dentures

If you’re a dog owner, you understand the special relationship and close bond that is formed between a dog and its owner. A dog has an acute sense of smell and knows the unique scent of its owner. Anything you wear from clothes to dentures will identify you to your dog. That scent is comforting to your dog and he or she wants to be close to that scent because it’s tied to you. It’s something that likely makes your dog happy.

Another enjoyable past time for dogs is chewing hich serves many purposes. For puppies, it's a way to relieve “toothing pain” caused by new incoming teeth. For more mature dogs, it's how they keep their jaws strong and teeth clean.

When you combine your dog’s love for you and need to chew, a denture can easily become a target! If your dentures have turned into little pieces scattered across the floor and your dog has a guilty look on its face, you’re going to need to get your dentures replaced. Here are a few things to consider when you need a new denture.

Qualities Needed To Make a Good Denture

Making a good denture requires a special blend of four ingredients - science, art, experience and pride:

• The Science teaches you how to make a good denture so that it fits and functions properly.

• The Art of making a denture is a talent that enables a denture to look beautiful and natural. A denture should literally be a work of art.

• The Experience of crafting dentures is critical for quality, reliability and comfort. You cannot achieve consistent quality, reliability and comfort without years and years of experience.

• The Pride is a priceless attribute of any denture. It’s a feature that cannot be duplicated. The pride element of a denture is the passion, dedication and genuine care and concern naturally given by the dental professionals who create a custom denture for someone. These qualities make it difficult for a denture to be made with the same craftsmanship anywhere else.

Quality Manufacturing History of Akron

Good manufactures stand behind what they make. It’s a long and proud tradition of how we have manufactured products here in the Akron area. Dentures are no different.

It is important to know who is fitting your dentures AND who is manufacturing your dentures. Are they made locally by an experienced, reputable denture laboratory or are they made out-of-state or outside the U.S. and shipped to your dental professional?

Cost of Future Adjustments

No matter how well dentures are made, they will most likely need adjustments as they are worn and your mouth changes. Adjustments help to ensure your dentures fit as precisely as possible. These types of adjustments should not cost anything extra. Be sure to ask if the price quoted includes adjustments at no additional charge.

Recommendations from Other Denture Wearers

Most people want their dentures made by professionals with extensive experience, a reputation of consistent quality and a long track record of great customer service. Do your research and ask others to offer their opinions and recommendations to find someone you can trust.

It’s About Value Not Price

The price a dental professional advertises for dentures should NOT be your only focus. While price must certainly be taken into consideration, so should the qualities outlined above. Dentures are an important part of your daily life and a long-term investment, they should feel good and you should feel good about your investment.

Questions To Ask

You should be able to answer “Yes” to all these questions to feel comfortable with whom you entrust to make your dentures:

1. Can my denture be made in 2 days?
The same-day dentures you see advertised isn’t a process that is completed all in the same day. It’s usually much more involved and time consuming. Make sure you understand all the details and the exact time required from start to finish. Typically, it takes between 10 and 14 days to make a denture and that is considered to be efficient service. Exceptional service is making a denture in 2 days.

2. Is my denture customized?
Both the teeth and the acrylic can be color matched and shaded to match and compliment your complexion.

3. Can I get quality without having to pay the highest price?
Make sure you get a quality denture at a great price. Too many times, people are overly focused on just the price. It’s a balance of quality and price that will serve you best over the long-term.

4. Is my denture made by an in-house, local denture laboratory?
Having your denture made in-house will allow the dentist to supervise each step of the process. When a denture is made outside the dentist’s office or outside the area, it’s difficult to supervise and control the quality.

5. Will my denture have IPN teeth?
IPN is the “world standard” in highest quality teeth.

6. Is my denture injection molded acrylic?
This makes the denture 5 times stronger than average, provides the best fit and is the most stain and odor resistant.

Contact Us With Your “Dog Ate My Denture” Story

If your dog ate your dentures, we would love to hear your story! We would also appreciate the opportunity to show you how we’ve earned a reputation for delivering patients with quality dentures and incredible, friendly service for over 50 years.

Please contact us by calling 330-733-7911 or send us a message from our website at any time.

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Oral Health Awareness is Important Every Month of the Year!

By Dr. Mark Grucella, DDS • 26 Jul, 2023

Oral health plays a significant role in our overall health, both physical and mental. Therefore, it’s beneficial and rewarding to think about oral health every day. There are national awareness months throughout the year that focus attention on different aspects of oral health and the importance of taking care of ourselves with good practices, routines, and professional care. Here are some of the months receiving national recognition for different types of oral health topics:

Digital Dentures vs. Traditional Denture

By Dr. Mark Grucella, DDS • 08 Feb, 2023

Learn about the many advantages of digital dentures compared to a traditional denture.

Just Like Halloween, There’s Really Nothing To Fear

By Dr. Mark Grucella • 22 Oct, 2022

Halloween can understandably be a scary time of year. Afterall, when October rolls around, we start seeing the emergence of witches, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, vampires, bats, spiders, and everything else that can make the hair on the backs of our necks stand up. But then, October 31 st comes and goes, and we realize, there really wasn’t anything to fear in the first place. It was just our worries, anxieties, or the unknown running wild and getting the better of us. Time and time again, our new patients tell us how dental care can be a lot like Halloween. They have anxiety because of the unknown, or they had an unfavorable experience in the past that resulted in a reluctance to continue to seek care on a regular basis. We are proud to say we were a breath of fresh air for these patients. Once they came to us, they discovered there really wasn’t anything to fear and now look forward to each and every appointment so they can enjoy the many benefits of routine dental care. As we like to say, “Our Dental Care Does Not Scare” and here’s why: Friendly, Fun, Non-Judgmental Style of Care When patients come to one of our three Akron-Canton area dentist offices, they find a welcoming and friendly team of professionals focused only on the comfort, care, and well-being of our patients. We also like to have some fun! In addition to being dedicated dental professionals, we are sports fans who like to support our teams. When there’s a big game, you’ll see each of us wearing our favorite team’s jersey whether it’s the Guardians, Browns, and yes, even the Steelers. Holidays also provide us with great opportunities throughout the year to incorporate some fun by decorating our offices and ourselves with the applicable ornamentation. What’s really special is watching how our patients love to join in on the fun and dress up for the big games and holidays too! Informing and Empowering Our Patients Before we proceed with any type of care, we provide our patients with all the information, explanations, and answers to questions they want. Costs are also shared up-front so approval can be given and there are no surprises. We make sure our patients are always in charge of their individual care. Navigating Dental Insurance Benefits Like any type of insurance, dental benefits can get complicated. What’s covered? What’s not? Am I taking full advantage of all my dental insurance benefits? These are just a few of the most frequently asked questions by our patients. We help you navigate your dental insurance plan and understand all your benefits. No Dental Insurance, No Problem Not everyone has a dental insurance plan and the ability to minimize their out-of-pocket dental care cost. That’s why we created an in-house discount dental plan. It helps our patients who are not covered by dental insurance save on everything from cleanings and fillings to cosmetic procedures and crowns. See Why There’s Nothing To Fear While many people put off dental care because of worries or anxieties, we invite you to give us a try by scheduling an appointment at one of our three Akron-Canton area dental office locations. Please call us at 330-733-7911 or send us a request for an appointment here on our website by visiting this link: REQUEST APPOINTMENT Just like Halloween, we’re confident you are going to see there really is nothing to fear. In fact, you may just find you’ll have some fun!