A smile says a thousand words. But for many, missing teeth can make smiling an emotionally difficult experience. Tooth loss can happen for many reasons including trauma, neglect, infection, substance-use, grinding and/or clenching and genetics.
In Canada, approximately four in 10 people over the age of 18 have missing teeth. Missing teeth can affect a person’s mental and physical health. For example, without teeth, a person may find the simple act of eating and chewing nearly impossible, which may cause other health issues. For many, having a full set of teeth can boost self-esteem, overall health and mental well-being.
Owned and operated by denturist Jim Harrison, Harrison Denture Clinic (HDC) has been providing full-service denture care for residents of Collingwood and surrounding areas for 32 years. The modern, state of the art clinic specializes in implant dentures, while also providing a full range of denture services including new dentures, relines and repairs – directly to the public, all in one location. The clinic also works closely with dentists and oral surgeons in treatment planning and delivering the best possible care to its patients. For client reassurance, all work done by HDC is fully guaranteed.
While many believe that tooth loss affects mainly the aging population, missing teeth can affect people of all ages and backgrounds. Children typically lose teeth due to trauma caused by sports accidents, falls or neglect. They also can be lost due to genetics – for example, children can lose their primary teeth and not have adult teeth to replace them.
Another common problem is sore spots from ill-fitting dentures, which can also lead to jaw pain and low self-esteem due to the lack of facial support from older or poorly made dentures - this can also cause individuals to appear much older than they really are.
Since re-opening, HDC has implemented strict COVID-19 protocols. “We spent the months that we were shut-down making significant changes to the way we see patients. For example, we installed glass shielding in our reception area to protect both staff and patients. We also eliminated the typical 'waiting room,' opting instead to bring patients directly into private treatment rooms, where the air is filtered via a high-volume Hepa filtration system that changes over 100 per cent of the air every 15 minutes,” says Harrison.
In addition to the added in-clinic safety measures, all patients will be pre-screened for COVID symptoms via a phone interview the day before their scheduled appointment. When clients arrive at the clinic, they will be the only people being seen at that time. Clients will have their temperature taken with an infrared non-touch thermometer and given another pre-screening questionnaire before the appointment begins. Harrison adds, “Staff members will take their temperatures every morning followed by disinfecting all rooms at the start of each day and in between all appointments, implementing hospital-level protocols.”
Questions? Call HDC today at 705-445-1121 or complete the General Inquiry Form. For more detailed information, please visit the clinic’s website. “Life’s too good to go without a smile!”