3 Famous Hockey Players Who Wear Dentures

3 Famous Hockey Players Who Wear Dentures

by | Sep 20, 2022 | Blog

With the NHL hockey season just around the corner and the Penticton Vee’s lacing up at the South Okanagan Events Centre, it feels like everyone has hockey on the brain! It’s also the time of year when pictures of your favourite hockey players appear on TV and social media—with their bright white teeth and flawless smiles. But did you know that many professional hockey players wear dentures?
Our team at Community Denture were reminiscing about 3 famous hockey players who wear partial or complete dentures:
  1. Bobby Clarke

If there’s one face that represented hockey in the 1970s, it was Bobby Clarke. His toothless grin was on full display when the Philadelphia Flyers won back-to-back Stanley Cups in ’73-74 and ’74-75. Bobby’s on-ice aggression led to many scraps—and tooth loss. Bobby is missing his 4 front teeth and now wears a partial denture to fill in his trademark gap.

  1. Wayne Gretzky
Gretzky’s playing style as a professional hockey player was all about finesse. But as a kid skating on backyard ponds in Canada, gameplay with his friends was more rough-and-tumble. That explains why he wears a cosmetic dental bridge to this day. At the age of 10, he was struck in the mouth by a high stick that knocked out his three front teeth.
  1. Sidney Crosby

Sidney has been the heart of the Pittsburgh Penguins since he was drafted in 2005. Known as the quintessential team player, it was a shock when he was struck in the face by a teammate’s slap shot during a game against the New York Islanders in 2013. After the pain from the blow wore off, Crosby needed immediate dentures. He was missing 10 teeth and suffered a fractured lower jaw. He now wears implant-supported dentures.

hockey

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From hockey players to history teachers and everyone in between—we want to see you smile! At the Community Denture Centre, see us for partial or complete denture services! Contact us today for a consultation at either our Penticton or Oliver offices.
Tips for Speaking Confidently With Dentures

Tips for Speaking Confidently With Dentures

by | Sep 8, 2022 | Blog

Whether you’re chatting with friends over coffee at The Ditch Café in Oliver or joining in on a game of cards at Penticton Seniors’ Drop-In Centre, dentures are an ideal way to brighten your smile and boost your self esteem. But if you’re new to wearing dentures, it can be an adjustment to learn to speak clearly and confidently. At Community Denture Centre, we understand the unique challenges of new dentures.
Here are our pro tips for speaking confidently!

Bite Down and Swallow Before Speaking

To help secure your dentures and prevent them from shifting as you speak, bite down softly and swallow any saliva. This will create a bit of suction and also help bond any denture adhesive or soft liners you’re using to your gums. A secure fit will give you confidence to articulate words and phrases—and to smile as you speak.

Practice Speaking by Reading Aloud

To help prepare for speaking in front of others, try practicing at home first. A great way to practice is to read sections of your favourite books and magazines aloud. This will help you to adjust to how your complete or partial dentures feel in your mouth, as well as how your tongue moves as you say different words and phrases.

Practice Speaking in Front of a Mirror

As you practice speaking with partial or complete dentures, trying watching yourself in the mirror. Seeing how you look as you speak can help you make small adjustments to make your mouth movements appear and feel more natural. Keep up with a regular practice regimen, such as 10 minutes each day, to see gradual but consistent improvement.

Experiment with Vocal Exercises

Certain sounds can be more difficult to say with dentures. Typically, “F”, “S”, and “T” sounds take a bit of extra practice to come out clearly and naturally. Practicing words and phrases in poems and riddles is a fun way to train yourself to speak with your complete dentures. Try “She sells seashells by the seashore” or other favourite sayings.
healthy smile sitting during the consultation

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We offer many denture services at Community Denture Centre in Penticton and Oliver. Every set of customized dentures are built for comfort so you can speak clearly—with confidence! Contact us today for a chat about what dentures are all about!
When are Partial Dentures the Best Option?

When are Partial Dentures the Best Option?

by | Aug 23, 2022 | Blog

Whether you’re attending graduation festivities at Okanagan College in Penticton or singing along during Open Mic Night at Oliver’s Firehall Brewery, nothing feels quite like smiling! When your smile is missing one or more teeth, our denture team at Community Denture know it can be difficult to bite and chew—not to mention how it impacts your appearance. To help you achieve a bright and confident smile, new dentures are an ideal choice. If you’re new to custom dentures, you may be unsure about whether to get complete or partial dentures. Here are a few key features of each to help you decide which dentures are best for you!

Key Features of Complete Dentures

  • A complete set of upper or lower teeth
  • Kept in place through suction, fit, and face muscles
  • Precision fit considers your jaw size, face shape, and lip movement
  • Typically crafted with an acrylic base and porcelain or acrylic teeth
  • May take multiple casts and fittings to find your perfect fit
  • Usually take between one and three months to make
Features-of-Complete-Dentures
Complete dentures are best suited for people with no teeth or only a few teeth that can be extracted.

Key Features of Partial Dentures

  • A partial set of teeth or a single tooth
  • Kept in place by a metal clasp attached to an anchor tooth
  • Typically crafted with acrylic or porcelain crowns attached to cast metal
  • Depending on the number of teeth that need to be replaced, some partials can be made in a single visit
  • Teeth can easily be added to your existing partial if you experience additional tooth loss
Partial dentures are most often recommended for people who still have most of their original teeth.

Call Us Today To Book A Free Consultation!

At Community Denture Centre we are here for you! We can provide you with a quote for complete custom dentures and partials. Our modern technology gives you a beautiful smile built for precision and comfort. Contact us at our Penticton or Oliver office today!

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.