How Fountain of Youth® dentures live up to their name: Better fit, greater comfort, unparalleled aesthetics

You have likely seen the reference to “GNM” dentistry on this website. GNM refers to “gneuromuscular,” a term advanced by Dr. Clayton Chan. The term is derived from “gnathology,” the relationship between teeth and jaw function when you bite down. It is also derived from “neuromuscular,” a reference to how the nerves and muscles function within this interconnected system. 

Fountain of Youth® dentures live up to their name, as a youthful alternative to conventional tooth replacement, by accounting for the interconnected nature of the tissues that make up your mouth, face, and jaws. As a qualified provider of FOY®, Dentistry by Shane Nelson, DDS in Overland Park, Kansas, has the advanced training and tools to make over your smile and entire face with this unique system. 

How FOY® supports natural function, youthful beauty

Dr. Nelson uses neuromuscular techniques to assure that FOY® dentures fit the contours and tissues of your mouth precisely. Many of the common complaints with conventional dentures flow from a poor fit. Ill-fitting dentures tend to slide around. They are a pain to “use.” Patients frequently suffer from sores and irritation. They refrain from eating their favorite foods or from eating in public. They may encounter embarrassing slip-ups in social settings, and these dentures can interfere with clear and proper speech. Lastly, it is from these dentures approaches and systems that the undesirable term “false teeth” arises, as we associate these teeth with being very fake or plastic-looking. 

Actual Patient Results

Dr. Nelson avoids these common complaints. Due to the novel, neuromuscular approach to Fountain of Youth® dentures, patients can rediscover their love of sticky, even chewy foods again. They can laugh and speak confidently, without fear of embarrassing mishaps or not being understood. They love to show off their new teeth and smiles! The difference is in the design and exacting planning, differentiated from conventional techniques and approaches: 

• All dentures are made from impressions or models of your mouth. Traditional denture impressions, however, are made from impressions of your mouth at rest. These static impressions do not account for how the dentures will function when your teeth and mouth function – when chewing, grinding, breaking down food, and when speaking. Instead, FOY® uses dynamic impressions to make your dentures. These impressions are based on your mouth in motion. In turn, the dentures are fabricated to move seamlessly with your mouth and its muscles, nerves, and other structures and tissues within this complex “system.”
• FOY® techniques also allow us to accurately measure the best height for your new dentures. We account for the muscles and tissues that were supported by your natural, developing teeth when “reading” or determining the ideal height of your new teeth. These considerations promote a better, more comfortable fit than traditional approaches to treatment planning. Additionally, FOY® appliances foster even pressure across the soft and hard tissues. Again, this feature is associated with a better fit and comfort.

FOY® dentures effectively protect against or halt the progression of destructive bone loss. This is yet another benefit of our detailed understanding and integration of ideal muscle function and bite into the design and fabrication of your teeth. When strong, dense bone is sustained, the overlying tissues that rely on such structure do not fall. Your face looks healthy, firm, contoured, and, yes, youthful! 

We are privileged to introduce you to FOY® Dentures and look forward to answering your questions. Call Dentistry by Shane Nelson, DDS, at (913) 297-7800 to find out more.